Full Moon
by Crosslit.Heavens
Summary: HAITUS ; I thought the foreign exchange program would be fun. Then I met Kagome. Now, trapped in the feudal era, I find myself the bearer of an ancient curse, unable to return home...then there's Inuyasha and his brother, who live to make things complicated. SxOC
1. Prologue: Running and Running

**Full Moon**

_Prologue: Running and Running  
><em>

_Run_. All I could do was run, and keep running, though I knew I would never escape.

Nothing but the soft sound of cackles came from behind me, riding on my heels. They followed me as I darted around and between the trees surrounding me, the full moon my only light, the sounds getting closer and closer by the minute. I fought the urge to look back as I pressed on, my feet feeling clumsy and hitting the ground hard, making loud, almost echoing sounds.

How far could I go? How long could I keep running like this?

I didn't know, because my legs already felt like they might give out, collapsing from underneath me. I knew I wasn't cut out for this kind of chase, though I also knew I couldn't do anything else. I _couldn't_ allow him to catch me.

If I did, everything would be over, and not only would I never see home again, but I would also be letting everyone down.

"_Run as far as you like, child, but you will never escape." _

The voice floated to my ears from behind, making my skin crawl with its darkness, its ugly and echoing cackles following its taunting words. I ground my teeth and again fought the urge to look back, trying not to let the voice get to me.

I heard the voice all too often now, even when he wasn't around. The very sound of it made me sick and invaded my dreams, causing me sleeplessness. And though I had only been running from him a short while, somehow it seemed like he'd always been chasing me.

Somehow, it seemed like I had _always_ been trapped.

A harsh cry escaped my lips then as I felt something bite into my leg, tearing my flesh and no doubt drawing blood. I again tried to fight the urge to look back, the urge to stop running, but this time I didn't win. My head turned to the side as my eyes swiveled in the voice's direction, and I finally caught sight of him.

His ugly, burning eyes bored into me as I gasped, and he reached out...and I was finally there, in Naraku's grasp.

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><p><strong>Hello, everyone, and welcome to my new fic! Sorry for the shortness of the prologue. I originally had the prologue and the first chapter together, but it didn't look right to me, so now they are separated. Sorry if there was any confusion.<br>**

**I felt like doing something new, so this is my first ever Inuyasha fanfic. Please let me know how I'm doing, and if you have any tips, I'd greatly appreciate them! Also, I apologize ahead of time for any cultural mishaps.**

**I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. If you have any comments, please review and let me know how I'm doing, and what you think about the story. See you in the next chapter! **

**~Ray**


	2. Chapter 1: Flowers and Fears

**Full Moon**

_Chapter One: Flowers and Fears_

Even though I didn't need to, I checked to make sure I had everything I needed one last time before I sat down in my numbered seat, breathing a sigh of relief as I realized that no one was sitting next to me, since everyone else had already boarded the plane. My newest read, my iPod, and some gum smiled at me from inside my bag as I sank into the seat, relaxing and feeling thankful that it was at least somewhat comfortable, since I knew I had a _very_ long flight ahead of me.

I had just said goodbye to my family, rushing to get through the gate and onto the airplane before it took off, my mother's horrible sense of time making me late once again (not that the time change had helped any). And though I had only seen my family moments ago, it felt like an eternity, as if I had been gone from them forever...as if I would somehow never see them again.

Though, of course, I knew that was ridiculous. I was only going to Japan for a semester, having finally gotten into my school's foreign exchange program, and before I knew it, I would be home again, in my family's arms, fighting for air as they hugged me to death. And though the separation was intimidating and even scary, and I was happy to go, knowing that I would have fun, that it was a great opportunity.

I had always wanted to travel to Japan, ever since I could remember. There was just something about the place that drew me to it like a moth to a flame, sucking me in like a tractor beam. Whenever I closed my eyes, I could feel the land calling to me, as if it were part of me, even though I knew it wasn't.

I was a home-grown, southern-raised American girl, though I hardly spoke or acted like it. I'd grown up in a small Southern city with enough people to be interesting, with enough activities to keep me sane. I'd had the same friends all through my life, had done the same things, and though nothing had ever been boring, it certainly hadn't been interesting.

I was feeling up for a change; I wanted something new to confront me.

"_Please fasten your seat belts, we are about to depart," _the chime of the intercom echoed above me as I did as I was told and fastened my seatbelt, securing it tightly. Though I was excited about this trip, I'd never really liked planes; I was actually afraid of heights. I took one last glance out the window to my right, seeing the surrounding airport and planes and a small glimpse of the town, before I pulled the shutter-like sleeve down over the window, blocking the view from my sight.

As the sounds of the airplane starting to rev up filled my senses, I grabbed my bag from beside me, rummaging in it to find some sleeping pills, already knowing I would need it. I pulled the sleeping pills and a bottle of water out of the bag and drank one of the pills down, nearly coughing as it passed my throat; I wasn't really one for medicine, either, preferring natural, homeopathic remedies, but when on a flight I let my urk for drugs slide.

Once the drunk-swallowing was done I put the water and pills away, glad to be rid of them, and pulled out my newest read - "A Wrinkle In Time", by Madeline L'Engle. I hadn't started reading it yet, but the cover was shiny and glossy with nice artwork, a gift from my older brother Sam, who was always pushing me towards my writing dream, knowing that the more you read, the better you became at telling a story.

The plane made whooshing sounds as I felt the G-force hit me, pushing me back in my seat. I closed my eyes as sickness invaded my sense, absolutely hating the feeling, and tried to relax. The relaxing came hard at first, but as I concentrated on slowing my heart-rate and feeling weightless, my body slowly responded and obeyed me.

_How's that for mind over matter? _I thought, smiling slightly.

Once the plane was in the sky, pressure leveled off and flight running smoothly, I finally opened my eyes, letting out a shaky breath. My insides clenched and unclenched for a moment, still feeling nauseated, and I quickly reached for my water bottle to take another drink.

I didn't think I'd ever get used to flying. Good thing there wouldn't be any of that in Japan - well, not until my exchange term was over, and I had to come back to the US.

I sighed as I tried to relax again, opening up my book. I felt immediately engrossed in the story.

* * *

><p><em>I found myself in a field full of flowers, so many I could hardly see, all different, bright colors. They seemed to swirl as I took them in, petals gazing up towards the sun shining high above - too high, where I couldn't even see it. And in the middle of the field stood a small little girl, humming to herself playfully, dressed in a kimono with most of her hair hanging down, though a portion of it was pulled to the side. She turned when I stepped forward a step, the flowers bending underneath my feet, and stared. <em>

_I was about to tell the girl that I wasn't there to hurt her (like I could actually _hurt_ anyone), thinking that she must be startled, but after a moment of staring, the girl's face broke out into a smile, as if she recognized me. _

"_You're Irazumi-san," she said cheerfully, still smiling as she ran over to me, offering me a freshly-picked, brilliantly golden flower. _

_I felt confusion consume me as I took the brilliantly bright flower in my grasp, thanking her for it. What the little girl had just said didn't make any sense in my mind. I knew Japanese pretty well, and I knew what "Irazumi" meant, but her calling me that seemed odd. The word didn't suit me, and it certainly wasn't my name. _

"_I'm not Irazumi," I said in a soft tone, looking from the smiling girl to the flower she'd handed me, feeling like I was holding pure gold. "I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else," I looked back at the girl and smiled apologetically._

_I had never met her, so she couldn't know me. _

_The girl's smile slipped for a second before she blinked, and then smiled again, laughing. "Oh," she said. "You don't know yet. That's okay," her smile was knowing, but not condemning, and I felt myself become puzzled again. "Your name is Luna-san, though, isn't it?" she asked, her accent catching on my name, making it sound more like "Runa". When I nodded, she grabbed my hand, pulling me into the field of flowers. "I've seen you when I was asleep, but you couldn't tell. And I don't think it's happened yet," she stopped for a moment when we reached the middle of the field and turned to me, smile brighter than before. "I'm Rin," she finally said, and despite my confusion, I smiled again. _

"_Thanks," I told her, though I wasn't quite sure why I was thanking her. Then I looked around. "Where are we, anyway, Rin-chan?" all of the bright colors invaded my senses, and suddenly a thought struck me. "Are we in a dream?" _

_I had to be dreaming, asleep on the plane, the medicine I'd taken kicking in. Why else would I be in a field of flowers that were this bright; why else would I be seeing a young girl wearing a kimono, who knew my name without even asking? _

_Rin's smile slipped a little when she nodded, bangs waving. "I think so," she said, plucking another flower from the field. "We're probably in a dream." _

_I sighed then, the notion calming me. For some reason, when she had said my name, had called me "Irazumi", I had felt nervous, a creeping dread filling my veins, as if something bad would come from it (not Rin, but the name). But now that I knew I was in a dream, I felt relaxed, sure my mind was just playing games. _

_It had to have been the book I was reading that had effected my dreams. It was a strange story - strange, just like this dream. _

_Once I felt relaxed, I joined Rin in picking flowers, momentarily wondering what (or who) it was she was gathering them for, though of course I knew it didn't really matter, since she was only a figment of my imagination. I picked a particularly red flower, adding it along with the gold one to my hand, and was about to give both flowers to Rin when suddenly a voice rang out through the space, deep, reverberating, calm. _

"_Rin," it said, calling the little girl's name, and she looked up, as if she could see where it was coming from. But me, I stayed rooted where I was, something about the voice leaving me breathless, immobile. It was both entrancing and terrifying, and when I heard it something inside of me began to move, as if resonating with the sound. _

_I knew in that instant that I had never heard the voice before and, though something about it was pulling me towards it, I never wanted to hear it again. _

_But Rin, for one, smiled at the sound of the voice - a smile even wider than the one she'd given me. She started to walk off, forgetting her flowers, before she turned back to look at me, her brown eyes meeting my gaze. "I have to leave, Luna-san. I'm sorry," she said, and then bowed quickly, her face lighting up as she straightened and waved to me. "See you again!" and then she turn on her heel and ran, vanishing into a streak of light. _

_I'd like to say that I followed her, but I didn't. The voice still had me rattled, this whole dream very strange, and I found myself feeling sick, the feeling so real I was almost afraid I was awake. My gaze fell to the two flowers in my hand and I noticed almost immediately that the red one had died, the golden one shining too bright. _

_And as soon as I saw that, the ground broke from underneath me, the soil swallowing me whole along with the flowers. I felt a scream tear at my throat as I traveled down, down, down, like Alice in the rabbit hole, hearing another, even more terrifying voice as red eyes shone out through the darkness, the cackling voice calling my name. _

* * *

><p>I woke in the airplane to find myself sweating, breathing heavily, my shirt feeling soaked and my muscles feeling tense. My heart raced in my chest as everything from the dream circled in my head - the little girl, Rin; the two flowers, golden and red; the terrifying, ugly voice, and the voice that was, though also terrifying, somehow strikingly captivating. My hands gripped the armrests of my seat, and when I looked up, I saw the flight attendant standing over me, alarm in her eyes.<p>

"Are you alright, miss?" she asked me, worry coating her face like too much makeup. I saw she was leaning into the plane's middle isle, ready to grab medical supplies if need be, and that several of the other passengers near me had their heads turned, also looking on in worry.

And I immediately felt bad, not wanting to worry anyone. I knew I was shaken from the dream, every detail of it still feeling real, but that was all that was wrong - and it had only been a _dream_.

I smiled at the flight attendant as best I could, nodding as I brushed my auburn-colored bangs from my face. "I'm fine," I said, my voice cracking. "But never again am I going to take sleeping pills before a flight."

* * *

><p>As I wandered through the airport, searching for the family I was supposed to meet, who would take care of and house me for the term I was in Japan, my mind was continuously assaulted by images and sounds from my dream, though none of them spoke louder than the distant, thrumming voice I'd heard.<p>

"_Rin." _

I could still hear the voice when I closed my eyes, could still feel the echo of it thrumming through my bones, and I still felt the odd sensation that I'd felt when I first heard it - the odd sensation of fear but oneness, almost familiarity. And again, I knew I didn't want to hear it. I tried to push the sound of it aside as I lugged my suitcase behind me, but the voice stayed ringing in my ears until I found the family I was looking for...along with the smiling face of little Rin.

"_You're name's Luna-san, isn't it?" _

I knew it had only been a dream, but still it bothered me, worming its way into my mind and eating at my thoughts. It had all seemed so real though the colors had been too bright, everything too defined. My legs still felt shaky underneath me as I remembered falling down into the hole in the ground, the soil gobbling me up, the red eyes that belonged to the second, chilling voice piercing through me.

A shiver traveled up my spine, cold and heartless, as my eyes finally met the family I'd been trying to find, who were waiting for me off to the side of one of the luggage pickups, my name written on a sign in strangely impressive English. It was then, seeing the smiling faces of my might-as-well-be foster family, that I hurriedly shoved my dream aside,willing myself not to think of it again.

Though some parts of the dream had been pleasant, like Rin's smiling face, the rest of it bothered me more than it should have. It was best I do away with it now, forget about it, so that it wouldn't taint my time in Japan.

My eyes met the eyes of one of my new caretakers - a smiling woman with short hair, who was standing next to a young boy, the boy giving me a big grin, holding the sign with my name on it. The woman nodded at me and beckoned me over with a little wave, and, adjusting my suitcase, I made a beeline for the two of them.

"Webster-san?" the woman said in a cheery voice (maiming my last name), and I nodded, letting her know that she had the right person. Her smile widened, and she bowed, welcoming me. "I'm glad you made it here safe! It's a little past the time you were supposed to arrive, so I was getting worried…" she laughed lightly at that, and I bowed back.

"I'm sorry about that," I apologized, then reached into the pocket of my jeans to drawn out my pocket-watch, flipping it open. She was right; I was late. "I had a little trouble finding my suitcase," I sighed, looking down at the huge, purple luggage beneath me. "They sent it to the wrong station, so I had to walk halfway across the airport," I frowned at the memory, my feet aching.

I had been none too happy to have to trek so far to find my suitcase, especially since the trip had given me plenty of time to think about my dream, which hadn't been at all good for my mind.

"Well, I'm glad that you found it," the woman smiled and cocked her head at me, looking a bit dazed or confused - I couldn't tell which. "Oh, that reminds me. Do you prefer Webster-san or Luna-san?" she said my name with an accent, the _L_ turning into an _R_.

The little boy beneath her, who had put the sign with my name on it down, frowned up at his mother. "It's _L_una-san," he said, pronouncing it right and dragging the _L_ sound out.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry," his mother laughed again, and I felt calm and comfort settle over me.

These people seemed nice and welcoming. I had a feeling I would enjoying staying with them.

I looked at the mother, smiling. "You're Higurashi-san, then?" I asked, and she nodded. The little boy looked up at me, and before he could say anything about being left out - because I just _knew_ he was going to say something - I acknowledged him. "Then you must be Souta-san, correct?" I asked, and when he laughed, hiding his chuckle behind his hand, I felt myself blush, turning red. "Or is that Souta-kun?" I knew the Japanese language pretty well, but sometimes their customs confused me.

"Either's fine!" the little boy grinned, and somehow I thought he would much rather prefer "san".

"Alright, you're grandfather's waiting at home," Mrs. Higurashi smiled at Souta, who nodded with a grin, and then looked at me. "Do you need any help with your bags, Luna-san?" she asked, and I could tell she was trying very hard to say my name right - and she almost managed it, though not quite. "Would you like Souta-kun or I to take your suitcase?"

I shook my head as I looked down at my monster purple suitcase, adjusting my purse-like bag on my shoulder so it fit more comfortably. "No, thank you," I told her. "I'm alright, I think."

"Well, if you're sure," Mrs. Higurashi took Souta's hand then, and we started out of the airport towards her car, the first leg of what I would come to realize was going to be a very long, very strange trip.

* * *

><p>We arrived at Higurashi shrine about an hour after that, my eyes still wide as Mrs. Higurashi parked the car and Souta opened the door to let me out. I'd been wide-eyed since we'd stepped out of the crowded, loud airport, taking in everything that passed by my window, seeing how different this world was from my own. It was just now starting to become autumn here, and it was chillier than it had been back home, so I shivered as I stepped out of the car, my feet hitting the ground.<p>

The air around the shrine seemed pure somehow, untainted by the city nearby, in which I was sure it smelled a bit more like smog. I felt a smile grace my face as I took in the surroundings of the place, seeing a large, wide tree sitting off to the side, standing majestically, and a separate building out back. When my eyes landed on the smaller building, old and shack-like, something in me pulled back from the image, almost afraid.

"That's where our well is," Souta said as he caught my gaze, saw where I was looking. "It's really old, and kind of dusty in there, and the well has been dried up for…" he scrunched his young face, thinking. "…well, for _forever_, I guess."

My eyes were still glued to the small little building where the well Souta described sat, my insides still squirming, so I didn't notice him take my hand until I felt his fingers wrap around mine, breaking me from my trance. I blinked when I felt his touch and looked down, seeing him grinning brightly, and felt glad that he had broken me from the trance, his smile much more comforting than the sight of the little building.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to ojii-san," he said as he tugged on my hand, pointing towards the main house of the shrine, a simple yet somehow ornate building. "He'll be _real_ excited to meet you. He loves to have people to talk to," he laughed lightly at that, as if it were a joke, and pulled me forward towards the house.

I followed Souta into the safety of the building, but not before I cast one last glance back to where the well was. And, in that moment, I knew that, just like the first voice I'd heard in my dream (the voice I just couldn't seem to get rid of), I never wanted to be near it again.

* * *

><p>Dinner at the Higurashi house lasted for what seemed like hours, mostly due to Souta's "ojii-san", who I met just as I entered.<p>

He talked all through the dinner and even afterwards, telling me all about his shrine, his heritage, and anything I would listen to him say. At first I was very interested, asking questions every now and then, but after a while I began to question the validity of what he was saying, since ninety-nine percent of it sounded like it was probably BS. That, and when he offered me a steaming cup of strange-smelling tea, saying it would help me get over my jet-lag, I took a sip and felt the world spin as sickness overcame me.

Souta dragged me away from his grandfather as quickly as he dared, taking me on a tour of the house, showing where my room would be - my home for as long as I was in Japan. I was both surprised and happy to find that the room looked more Western than Japanese, the bed a _real_ bed, a bookcase stacked against one wall, the bathroom down the hall. I was also surprised to see how big it was, at least the size of my room back home (if not bigger), the walls painted a nice creme color.

The only thing I hated about it was that when I looked out the room's window, I saw the building out back, behind which lurked the well…

Not that I told this to Souta when he asked me what I thought of my new space.

"So, how's your room?" he asked as he followed me around, watching as I took in my new home, my huge purple suitcase already lying on the floor by my bed. "I helped mom pick out the bed set," he said proudly as he motioned towards the bed, atop which was a pink-colored comforter with cheery blossoms on it (sakura, if you wanted to be technical).

I smiled smally at the gesture, trying not to look out the window again, feeling glad that said window had curtains hanging from it, which I could easily close as soon as Souta left. "It's wonderful, Souta-san," I said, and the little boy grinned.

"I knew you'd like it," Souta said as he ran a hand along the comforter, and then grinned again, sitting atop my bed. "Kagome-onee-san is going to be jealous when she sees it. She's been wanting a new one, but you got one instead," his mention of Kagome made me blink, and then I realized who he was talking about.

His sister!

I'd almost forgotten about her. When I'd received information about where I would be staying during my exchange program, they had mentioned Kagome, who I would be going to school with, who would be one of my classmates. I thought back and found it strange that I hadn't seen her, not even at dinner.

"Where _is_ your sister, Souta-san?" I asked as I walked over to the window and drew the curtains, not able to stand the sight of the well's building any longer; I felt like it was watching me. "Is she over at a friend's for the night?"

Souta shook his head, and I frowned, finding this even stranger. "No. She's not at a friend's house. She's - " he stopped himself then, eyes wide as he were about to say something, and then he finished in a small voice: "...she's, uh, in her room. Next door. She gets sick a lot, so she misses most school days, and this time she's stuck in bed."

I felt my heart sink at the mention of this, feeling both sorry for Kagome, and worried at the prospect of going to a foreign school all by myself the next day. I had been counting on having at least someone I knew there with me, so I wouldn't feel like a complete stranger, but if Kagome was sick…

_Oh well._ I sighed, deciding there was nothing I could do about it. _I guess I'll just have to brave things on my own. I wanted an adventure, and here it is. _

Things would be different than they were back home, I was sure, but I also knew I could handle it...or, at least I _hoped_ I could handle it, since I'd never really had a problem like this before. My whole life I had lived in the same town, the same house, had had the same friends. I wasn't really sure how good I was at adapting, though I knew I wanted to learn to adapt and be able to take care of myself.

I was getting older, after all. I couldn't have people do things for me forever, and, deep down, I was the type of person who wanted to discover life on my own.

"Oh, you should probably get your school uniform," Souta's voice broke me from my thoughts, and I looked up, finding him standing in front of me, thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the living-room-like area of the house. "It's on the table. Mom brought it in earlier," he yawned then, eyes growing tired and sleepy. "I think I'm off to bed…"

I smiled at him, reaching forward to ruffle his hair as Mrs. Higurashi appeared in the doorway. She beamed at the two of us, and Souta grinned from ear to ear as he looked at me.

"Goodnight, you two," Mrs. Higurashi said, yawning as well as she leaned against the doorframe. Then she gasped, looking at me. "Oh, Luna-san, I almost forgot! Kagome-chan won't be going to school with you. You see, she's actually - "

"Ill," I finished for her as I took my hand away from Souta's head, and the tired boy blinked sleepily before wandering past his mother and out the door. "Yes, Souta-san told me. I'm sorry to hear that," the fear of being the new girl in a whole new country bubbled its way up through my veins when I said this, but I pushed it away and offered Mrs. Higurashi a smile, not wanting her to see my fear.

I knew I had to be brave. It was my goal in all of this.

"Oh...well, then…" Mrs. Higurashi seemed surprised, but then she sighed, as if Souta had relieved her of a burden. "I hope you aren't too disappointed. I was thinking it would be better to have you stay with another family, but Kagome-chan insisted you come here. She's so excited to meet you," she smiled then, clasping her hands, though I could see an edge of worry on her face. "As soon as she gets better, you can meet her. I'm sure you'll be great friends."

I nodded to Mrs. Higurashi as she straightened from the doorway, yawning again. "I would like that," I said as she nodded, and then bid me goodnight, vanishing to get some sleep.

Once she was gone I stood and headed out to the table to get my uniform for the next day, which was sitting there waiting for me, all wrapped up and neat. I wasn't really looking forward to wearing it, knowing that with Japanese uniforms came ridiculously short skirts, something I definitely wasn't used to, and the inability to wear whatever I pleased, which kind of annoyed me.

The uniform's wrapping crinkled as I picked it up and turned back towards my room, carrying it along with me. I felt myself yawn as I turned away from the table, feeling tired from the plane ride, from the airport, from everything. Despite the fact that I'd slept on the plane, it hadn't _felt_ like sleep...not with that strange dream.

"_See you again!"_

Rin's cheery voice echoed in my head as I passed Kagome's room, wishing I could confide in the sick, sleeping girl on the other side.

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><p><strong>Hello again! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! <strong>

**Please send me some feedback to fuel the story along and let me know what you think of it! Thoughts are greatly appreciated! **

**~Ray**


	3. Chapter 2: Trite and Tribulation

**Full Moon**

_Trite and Tribulation_

The next morning, I woke up earlier than I think I ever have, dragging myself out of bed. I went through the motions of brushing my long, auburn hair into an unraveling bun, putting a bit of makeup on the lids of my forest green eyes, and slipping on the ugly, much-too-short school-girl skirt I knew I had to wear that day.

It was the sight of the skirt billowing from my frame that truly woke me up, made me blink. I felt an immediate sense of discomfort as I stared into the mirror at it, adjusting the sailor-like shirt. I'd been prepared to wear a short skirt before coming to Japan, knowing that was what they did, but somehow...actually having it on made me feel sick. Annoyed. Grouchy, even.

I didn't want to be wearing it. But I knew, seeing that uniform finally on me, that I was going to have to learn to adapt while I was in Japan.

I wasn't home. I couldn't get things my way. This was as much of a test as it was an adventure, and I was just going to have to deal with it.

After maybe ten minutes in the bathroom (I never was one for vanity), I exited, grabbing my book-bag for school - which didn't look anything like the bag I carried back home, really more like a briefcase. I took one last glance at the mirror before I headed to the dining room (was it called a dining room here?), where there sat breakfast waiting.

I stifled a yawn as I sat down at the table, hoping the rings under my tired eyes looked better now that I'd applied makeup. I hadn't slept very well, and I was feeling the jet-lag.

I'd had another dream - though this one had been devoid of Rin, and had been more of a nightmare than anything.

I'd been falling again, like Alice, strange creatures coming from the darkness and surrounding me. I'd been screaming, my mouth open wide, but somehow the sound of my screams had been blotted out, sucked out of me. All I'd heard was the moving of the creatures around me as I'd fallen; all I'd seen had been their eyes, their flashing teeth. And just when I'd thought that I would hit the bottom of the hole I was falling through, I'd seen a bright flash of light, and then -

"Are you feeling okay?" it was Souta's voice that woke me from my reverie. I snapped my eyes open as I jumped, looking at him across the table from me. Somehow, I must have fallen into a day dream, my lack of sleep already plaguing me. I could see the remnants of the dream I'd had the night before when I blinked. "You look kind of _awful_."

I laughed at Souta's honesty, trying to bring a smile to my face. "No, I'm fine," I lied through my teeth, though the lie sounded truthful, and I saw his worry evaporate as he began to believe it. "I'm just a little worried about my classes today. Going to a new school is a bit frightening," I looked down at the table when I said that, this part of my confession true.

I _was_ scared of going to a new school. I'd gone to the same school and been with the same friends my whole life (since, in my town, there was only one school building). It would have been different if I'd just moved to a new town, was starting a new life, but I wasn't. I was in a whole other country. And for only a semester. By the time I got used to things, I'd already have to leave.

I shivered as my falling dream flashed through my mind again, glancing away from the table and food to look at one of the sliding doors, behind which lay Kagome.

It didn't look as if Souta's sister was feeling any better today, even though I'd been hoping all night that she would miraculously recover from whatever illness plagued her, and be able to come to school with me.

_It's an adventure. _I reminded myself as I looked back at Souta, faked another smile, and started eating my breakfast. _It's just school. Even though you don't know anyone, and it's in a different country, it can't be the scariest thing out there. _

Though, I doubted there would be anything more terrifying than school that I would face while I was in Japan.

* * *

><p>School ended up being much different than I expected. I was only in the building two minutes, trying to pull down my short skirt again, somehow make it stretch miraculously, before I was bombarded by students.<p>

"You're the _foreigner_, aren't you?" a group of girls were the first to notice me. They all looked to be about my age, and all had big smiles on their faces.

I nodded, though I thought it was kind of obvious. Of course I was a foreigner - I certainly didn't look Japanese. And once I opened my mouth, they'd hear my American accent.

"Yes," I finally said as I glanced at each of them, feeling myself relax a little bit as I took in their smiles. So far, my day wasn't going too bad, though it had only just started. "My name is Luna, and I'm going to be in…" I paused for a moment as I blinked, taking a slip of paper out of my bag. I stared at it for a moment, trying to read the kanji quickly (which was hard since, though I'd been studying them, they weren't nearly as easy to recognize as the romanic letters, which I'd been seeing from birth). After a moment, I gave up, and handed the slip to one of the girls in front of me.

The girls all crowded around me to look at my paper, reading it as one. I saw their faces break into smiles.

"I knew it!" one girl exclaimed. I raised an eyebrow for an explanation as she handed the slip back to me. "There's a rumor that's been going around, about a foreign exchange student - that's how we recognized you," she didn't say anything about my looks, how much I stood out, even if my uniform was the same. "We were hoping you might be in our class, and you are!" she reached forward to grasp my hands excitedly. "Tell me, Luna-san, where are you staying?"

I stared at the girl a moment before I replied, trying to think of the best way to handle this.

Though I'd studied the culture, I hadn't expected my fellow students to be so nice. I had thought that, maybe, they might not like having a foreigner in their class - especially an American. I supposed I was lucky because they didn't seem to mind me, and they were nice enough.

"I'm staying with the Higurashi's," I explained to the girl, whose face brightened even more at the name, if that were physically possible. "You must know their daughter - Kagome-san? She's also in our class, though she's ill right now…" I sighed on that note as the girl finally let go of me, connecting once again with the semi-circle that made up her friends.

I really felt bad for Kagome. From what her mother had told me, she'd been excited that I was coming, excited to meet me, and yet she was sick, confined to her room and her bed. It must have been awful to be sick all of the time…it was a wonder she could keep up with her classes.

But, since I was starting at her school, when she got well, maybe I could help her study. It would be a good way to get to know her, anyway.

"You're staying with Kagome-chan?" I assumed from the enthusiastic squeal from the girls that they knew Kagome. "How is she feeling? What does she have this time?" the girls looked sad when they mentioned her sickness, but then they glanced at one another in unison, grinned, and leaned in towards me.

"So, have you met her boyfriend yet?" the girl with the shortest hair asked as I frowned at her, not liking being concerned like a caged dog. "He's a two-timer, you know. You should be careful."

This surprised me, and I blinked.

Kagome's boyfriend was a two-timer? Her family didn't seem like the type of people who would allow that, but…then again, I hadn't actually met Kagome yet. Maybe she didn't mind.

Or, maybe she refused to believe it. I couldn't be sure which.

Not that it was my business, anyway.

"I actually haven't seen Kagome-san yet, so no, I haven't met her boyfriend, either," I shrugged as the girls deflated, obviously having hoped that I would share with them some juicy gossip - it didn't seem to matter what country you were in; everyone loved to hear gossip. "I just arrived at the shrine yesterday, in fact. I'm still getting used to everything," the girls leaned away from me now that I wasn't quite as interesting.

I bowed to the mob, knowing it was polite. "I'm very please to meet all of you, though. Thank you for welcoming me," they bowed in turn, and I wanted to laugh.

Ten minutes maybe, and I already had friends. My confidence was feeling boosted. Why had I thought that school would be terrifying? If I could face this, then surely I could face anything.

The girls continued to chat with me as we headed down the hall, towards our first class.

* * *

><p>School progressed that day the way that all school days do: I had a lot of work to complete, I talked with my new friends (who I actually came to like), and I got lost more than one time trying to make it to class. None of those things bothered me in the least bit. What bothered me was the looks I got from everyone I passed - the stares they gave me, as if they'd never seen a foreigner before.<p>

"Don't worry about it. They'll stop staring in a few days," one of Kagome's friends told me as we exited mathematics - I couldn't remember her name. I had too much on my mind, and the name really didn't seem to suit her, anyway. "For now, let's head to our next class," she smiled at me cheerily.

There was only one class left at that point - English, which I didn't know why I was in anyway, since I'd grown up speaking the language. All of the students filed into the little room after me and my group, taking their seats. I tucked my still annoyingly too short skirt under my legs as I sat down.

The professor came in a few minutes later. He was actually kind of tall, and had blue eyes. His accent wasn't that bad, and he spoke English pretty well, but I found myself bored after a few minutes.

So, after some debate, I took a notebook out of my bag and set it on my desk, opening it to a blank page. I glanced around once to make sure I was hidden (which I was, since my friends were sitting in front of me, and we were towards the back of the class) before I took out a pen and began doodling.

I'd never been a great artist, but I wasn't bad. My brother, who loved to draw and paint, had shown me how to shade and make certain shapes, and I'd began to draw decently. And after I'd learned to draw at least somewhat well, I'd started doodling in notebooks when I was bored or agitated. It reminded me of my brother and calmed me…

Which was good, because calm was just what I needed. Because somehow, even though I'd been at school all day, the strange dream I'd had while on the plane was plaguing me. At first I had thought only about the dream I'd had the night before - the dream of falling - but then it had vanished from my mind, replaced by the other dream.

Now when I closed my eyes I could see the dream's sea of flowers surrounding me, see Rin's smiling face. And when I wasn't paying attention to what my new school friend's were saying, I could almost hear the voice from the dream, feel the wind rushing past me as I fell down the dark hole yet again, something else cackling at me.

The night before, I'd been afraid to fall asleep, afraid that I would dream the dream again - and I'd had good reason, since when I had managed to sleep, I'd had another dream of falling. But now that I was awake, I wanted to get the dreams out of my mind so I could think again.

I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I was tired of it. So, maybe, if I drew out what I'd seen in the dreams, the visions would leave me alone finally.

I spent the next twenty minutes drawing things, barely even registering what the professor was saying. My pen worked quickly across the paper, scratching it, even tearing through it in some places. I drew everything that I could remember, everything that scared me - the huge pit I'd fallen into, the strange, unearthly creatures in it - and then I moved onto the field of flowers and little Rin.

Her portrait actually turned out pretty good. I was able to capture somewhat her big smile, and was amazed at the detail I managed. My brother's lessons must have paid off after all, because the picture almost looked real.

After I finished Rin's portrait, I sat back in my seat, came back to reality. The professor's clear voice reached my ears again, and I could see my friends leaning towards him in their seats, paying attention raptly. I was about to smile at their eagerness - they wanted to learn English badly it seemed; who would have thought? - before it dawned on me:

I hadn't drawn the flowers from the dream - the two flowers I'd been holding, the too-bright red and golden flowers.

I put my pen to the paper again, an ache echoing from my chest. Though I knew I could draw the flowers, I wished I had some colored pencils with me, to pencil them in. Though I knew that even if I'd had colored pencils, the flowers would have never been bright enough.

There was nothing that could match that intensity.

I was nearly done drawing the golden flower when suddenly my eyes started to feel heavy. I shook my head to try and clear it as the sounds around me became fuzzy, but it wouldn't clear. And when I looked down, the page beneath me became blurry - though the flowers on it weren't.

The flowers were still as clear as a sunny day.

I started to panic then, the weight that had settled on my eyelids spreading through my body. I looked up, and the room looked blurry. I got to my feet, and I swayed. I caught sight of my professor's eyes widening - thought that was blurry, too - and heard him say something incomprehensible before suddenly I couldn't hear or see anything.

My body felt cold as I fainted, hitting the floor with no feeling.

* * *

><p><em>I could hear voices, though I couldn't open my eyes. There seemed to be something around me, trying to choke me, feeling soft like a cloud. I wanted to scream as I hovered in the darkness, but like my eyes, my mouth refused to move as well. <em>

_And then suddenly the choking thing lifted, and my eyes snapped open. I couldn't breathe for a moment as I saw the grey sky loom above me, shock running through my veins. I didn't feel like I was floating anymore, and when I sat up, I saw the field again. _

_Only this time, the field didn't contain flowers. Burnt, dead grass echoed around me, refusing to move in the breeze. Where there had once been flowers, there was now lifelessness, and suddenly the field looked bigger than before, as if it might swallow me… _

"_Luna-san," I nearly jumped when I heard the voice, recognizing it as Rin's. It came from behind me, and it sounded worried. "I didn't think I'd see you again," I turned around to find her face to face with me, since I was sitting on the ground, my whole body feeling heavy. _

_Rin's once-smiling face now looked as worried as her voice had sounded. Her small eyebrows knitted slightly as she stared at me, as if she wanted me to say something, to reassure her in some way. _

_But I couldn't reassure her, because I had no idea what was going on. _

_So, needing information to create a story - to hopefully make her feel better - I asked: "What happened to the field?" _

_Rin looked away from me at the dead landscape, and her mouth turned into a frown. "He burned it," she said, though she didn't tell me who "he" was exactly. "This morning." _

_I knew I should have asked who she was talking about, but I just couldn't. Anyone could have seen Rin's sadness over the dead field of flowers, and I knew asking more about the topic would just make her feel worse. _

_So, I turned the topic away from the field. _

"_What are you doing here, Rin-chan? Don't you have somewhere else you need to be?" I asked as I tried to stand, feeling shaky - but my legs collapsed underneath me, landing me on the burnt ground again. _

_I didn't know what was wrong with me, why I was feeling so heavy, so…weak. The last thing I remembered, I'd been in English class, doodling the flowers from my last dream, and then - _

_I felt suddenly sick as I realized - remembered, more accurately - that I'd fainted in the middle of class, which had obviously landed me in this dream. I could only imagine what was happening back in reality. The professor had looked worried before I'd passed out. They were probably taking me to the hospital now. _

_I felt a sense of guilt overcome me when I thought of the Higurashi family. I hadn't even been in their house one day, and I was already causing problems - and they already had sick Kagome to worry about… _

_Rin looked back at me then, and I pushed aside my inner pity party. Though I wanted to know what was going on outside of my dream, I couldn't ignore the fact that I was asleep right now. The dream was my present reality. _

"_I wanted to make sure you were okay," Rin answered me, and then a smile lit up her face, and I felt at least some of the weight on me vanish. "I guess I got my wish," she frowned again then, and I felt my heart sink. "I'll have to leave soon, though." _

_I felt regret when she said that, though I didn't know why. I was in a dream, after all. None of what was happening was real, and I knew it. _

_But, still, Rin seemed to be the only happy thing in the dreams I'd had in the past day and a half. When I saw her face, I didn't feel so bad, and my dreams seemed more like a dream than a nightmare - what they turned into when she vanished. _

_And at least Rin was in this dream. The dream I'd had the night before she hadn't been in, and even when I'd woken, I'd felt panicked. _

_So, though there was a ravaged landscape around me, and I was in a dream and it really wouldn't matter when I did wake, I decided to ask Rin about herself. If nothing else, I knew it would help pass the time until my body decided that it was ready to wake up. _

_I asked her the first question that popped into my mind. _

"_So, Rin-chan," I tried to keep my voice light, draw Rin's attention away from the depressing landscape that seemed to bother her so much. "The last time I saw you," I stopped for a moment, not sure she would remember our last encounter, since this was a dream, but I continued when Rin nodded. "you left when someone called you. Who was it?" _

_Rin's smile returned then, brighter than before, as if it had become the sun. "Oh," she said, as if she'd forgotten. "That was Sesshoumaru-sama." _

_The name hit me hard, and I felt an instant aversion to it - the same kind of aversion I'd felt with the voice from the previous dream itself, with the well at the Higurashi's shrine. It was like my insides were shrinking, recoiling from the name, not wanting to hear it. _

_But I repeated it, anyway. "Sesshoumaru…" I said slowly, the name like lead on my tongue, completely forgetting the honorific (which I knew was completely disrespectful of me, but it wasn't like I was being disrespectful on purpose). Though everything in me beat against the sound of it, I didn't let Rin notice. In fact, I laughed. "You all have such strange names," I said, trying to wish my aversion away. "Rin, Souta, Kagome…" I trailed off when Rin's eyes grew wide, questioning. _

"_You know Kagome-sama?" she asked in disbelief, and I physically felt my heart sink. _

_What a strange set of dreams. Not only had the dreams I'd had in the last day and a half been connected, featuring Rin twice, but now my mind was plucking things from the goings-on of my life and planting them in my dreams as well. Which was strange, since from the time I was seven, I'd only had one dream - every night. _

_I started to think I was going crazy. Then I sincerely hoped not. Then I wished the thought away. _

_I nodded as I answered Rin. "Yes," I said, my auburn bangs falling in my face. "I know Kagome-san. I'm staying with her family right now," I didn't see the harm in explaining things to Rin - since she was a figment of my imagination, and in reality, I was only explaining things to myself. _

_Rin opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could get the words out, we both heard a hideous sound. _

_I couldn't even begin to describe it. It was so loud that my ears wanted to bleed, but then it was so soft that it traveled on the breeze. It was like a roar but not, like a voice but completely different from one. It seemed to engulf me the moment I heard it, but at the same time, it was still far away. _

_Rin and I both shook when we heard the sound, and in a rush, she grabbed onto my arm. _

_I was about to try and comfort her, try and tell her that no matter what, I'd do my best to protect her from whatever was making the noise. Because even though Rin was a figment in my mind, I felt almost responsible for her, didn't want anything to mar that sweet smile she kept showing me. _

_But, I didn't get to pledge my protection (for what little it was worth), because Rin was the first to speak. _

"_He's looking for you," her brown eyes were panicked when she looked at me. "You have to wake up now, Luna-san." _

_For some reason, I couldn't breathe. "Wake up?" I repeated, confused by her words. "But how am I supposed to wake up? I fainted to fall into this dream!" I tried the first thing I could think of, and pinched my arm - and I was terrified when it actually hurt. _

_Because how could it hurt, when I was in a dream? _

_Rin stared at me, seemingly at a loss for words, a look of panic on her face. I felt guilty that I was causing her to worry as the horrid sound rang through the air again, closer this time. I didn't know what I could do to wake up, though I wanted more than anything to be awake again. _

_I was causing Rin trouble, I seemed to be averse to everything, and I hated this dream. _

"_Rin, you have to run," I stood shakily to my feet as I slid her hand off of my arm, turning towards the horrible sound. From what I could gather, I must have been in some waking dream, where my body could actually feel things - for all I knew, I could have moved in reality and pinched my arm, my body registering it because I wasn't fully asleep. "If whatever is making that sound is after me, then there's no reason for you to be hurt because of it," I turned my head to glance at Rin, who looked somber now. _

"_But he can't find you," she said, eyes shining - was she about to cry? "If he does, then -" _

_Her words were lost as everything rippled around me, my body feeling heavy once again. _

* * *

><p>My eyes shot open, just like they had at the start of my dream. I panted as the world around me came into focus, seeing a pair of shocked eyes floating above me.<p>

"Hey, are you okay, Luna-san?" it was Souta's voice that greeted me, sounding worried, just as I was afraid it would. "Mom brought you home from the school. They said you were fine. Something about being worn from jet-lag," I saw him smile a bit as my vision cleared, then I looked past him.

Behind him was the Higurashi's house, a safe place. I wasn't in the world of the dream anymore, wasn't being plagued by the strange noise, or my worry over my ability to protect Rin.

At least it had only been a dream.

I was very grateful for that.

"Souta-kun, is she awake yet?" it was the sound of an unfamiliar voice that made me sit up, Souta pulling back as I nearly bumped into him, my senses not one hundred percent quite yet. I heard a set of footsteps, and then a girl entered the room, her smile turning bright when she saw me. "Oh, you_ are_ awake. We were all worried."

I blinked as I looked at the girl, trying to figure out who she was. She was about a half a foot shorter than me by the looks of it, and her mid-length hair was slightly wavy, her bangs billowing nicely. She wore a somewhat plain shirt and skirt (did all girls wear skirts here?), and yawned, as if she'd just woken up from a nap.

And then it hit me.

I knew who she was.

The girl walked over to me and bowed. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Luna-san," she said brightly, and when she straightened, offered me her hand for a Western handshake. "I'm Kagome."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello again, everyone! I hope you liked chapter 2! <strong>

**I want to thank my reviewers for their feedback. I really love hearing from my readers, so please keep the comments coming. The next chapter should hopefully be out soon, so please keep a lookout for it!**


	4. Chapter Three: Problems and Promises

**Full Moon**

_Problems and Promises_

I stared at Kagome a moment before I finally reached out to shake her hand, smiling back at her as she smiled at me. She looked different than I'd thought she would, not your typical Japanese schoolgirl - and she certainly didn't look _sick_. I'd been expecting her to be more like her mom, like her brother, but though she was smiling, she looked anything but carefree.

There was a weight in her eyes though she smiled, like she was bearing a great burden. I could only assume that it came from her being sick, though it honestly looked more serious than that.

Maybe sickness wasn't the only thing plaguing Kagome…

"It's nice to meet you, Kagome-san," I said as she let go of my hand, sitting next to me on the sofa. "I'm sorry you've been sick. All your friends at school have been asking about you. How are you feeling?" the faces of Kagome's friends, all worried for her health, floated through my mind.

Kagome sighed heavily, brushing her bangs from her face. "I'm doing alright now, thanks. This last...er...sickness was really hard, but I pulled through it," her eyes were bright when she looked at me, hopeful. "And now that I'm better, if it wouldn't be too much trouble...you wouldn't happen to be willing to help me catch up on my schoolwork, would you?" she looked almost sheepish when she asked, and I felt myself blink.

_Schoolwork_? Kagome was finally out of bed, finally moving about, and she wanted to do _schoolwork_?

It was amazing how different this world, this country was from my own. No one I knew would have wanted to do schoolwork after recovering from a grave illness, and they were all good students who cared about their education. Americans tended to be a bit lazy when it came to school…which seemed to stem from the fact that they (we) took it for granted.

Though, if it had been me, I would have wanted to do my work, too, get it out of the way.

I nodded to Kagome, still feeling a bit woozy from my earlier fainting spell. "Of course I'll help you," I said, and Kagome smiled so wide I thought her face might crack, her hands coming together in a prayer-esque formation. "I managed to get through all of the classes today but one…"

"Oh!" Kagome jumped, as if she'd forgotten something. "Yes, you fainted in class! Okaa-san was so worried when she got the call from school," her brown eyes were large, still heavy, and they bored into me. "What happened, Luna-san?"

I looked away at that point, my eyes focusing on the wall across from us, debating on what I should say.

What _could_ I say? Souta had said that the school explained my fainting spell as a bad case of jet-lag, but I knew that wasn't the case. I wasn't sure what exactly was happening to me, where these strange visions (I wasn't so sure they were dreams anymore; they seemed much too real to me) were coming from, but I knew that they were connected with my fainting.

Since I'd come to Japan, I'd been having weird dreams, the dream I'd had every night since I was seven fading into the background suddenly. And though I knew I'd like to say that they were only dreams, my mind busy with what was going on in my waking life, I knew I couldn't brush them off as such.

There was something going on, though I didn't know what, and all the strange happenings seemed to be connected: the dreams, Rin, the name she'd given me, my fainting, and…

My eyes drifted along the wall until they found the window, and when I looked out the window, they found the building out back that housed the well. The moment I saw the building, I began to shiver convulsively, my body moving in spasms, my eyes wanting to look away, but not moving.

"Luna-san?" it was the feel of Kagome's hand on my arm, the sound of her voice, that broke the strange spell, as if purifying the air around me. I blinked and looked away from the window and the building that hid the well to see her worried face. She looked at me, eyebrows furrowing, and then turned to Souta. "Souta-kun, get Luna-san some tea, would you?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Souta nod. "Alright, Kagome-onee-san," he said as he got up, dashing off to the kitchen.

Kagome found a blanket nearby and draped it over me, looking worried again. I'd stopped shivering now, though I still felt cold, as if I were wrapped in icy hands. Kagome looked troubled as she straightened the blanket, her eyes trailing from my face over to the window, where I'd been looking.

I didn't see her reaction to what I'd been looking at, because I didn't dare look up, not wanting to see the old building that housed the well again. I imagine she looked confused, though, considering what my reaction had been.

Why had I shivered so violently? The last time I'd looked at the well's old building, I'd felt an awful eversion to it, felt like it was watching me, but I hadn't shivered at the sight of it. Why had I reacted so strangely this time?

I was suddenly reminded of my last dream as Souta returned with a cup of tea, which I took gratefully, hoping it wasn't a blend of his grandfather's (since the last time I'd drank his tea, it had made me sick). In the dream, Rin had given me a name, and I'd felt the same aversion to it that I'd felt when I'd seen the well's building the first time.

Was my reaction to seeing the well's building worse now because I'd heard Rin say that name?

"_Sesshoumaru-sama." _

No, that couldn't have been. That was crazy.

"Are you feeling any better now, Luna-san?" when Kagome spoke next, I looked up from my cup of tea, having just taken a drink. I met her eyes and noticed that they'd changed - they looked thoughtful now that she'd followed where I'd been looking. I wondered if she were going to ask me about it, and was glad when she didn't, instead saying: "Would you like to study? Souta-kun told me there's a math test tomorrow. He's been keeping up with my work while I've been sick."

A math test? I'd completely forgotten about it, considering everything else that was going on. But, studying would be nice, since I needed to keep up my school work, and I could also help Kagome while I was at it.

"Sure," I said as I finished my tea and handed the cup to Souta to put away. I withdrew the blanket from around me, and was amazed to find that I felt better now. "We probably _should_ study. That test is sure to be gruesome," I laughed a little at that, remembering how much I hated math.

And Kagome laughed too, the laugh reaching her eyes and lighting them up, taking away some of the heaviness that lay hidden in them. I got a good look at her face then, and decided that we could become good friends. Kagome seemed like a practical sort of girl, more grown-up, unlike her friends.

"Can we study in your room?" Kagome asked then, a bit sheepishly. "Mine is kind of...um...dirty?" she turned a bit red when she said it, and I got her meaning immediately.

Of course her room was dirty. She'd just been sick, coughing, throwing her sheets off when she got hot, not caring if she kept anything clean.

I nodded as I stood, glad that I didn't waver, glad that I felt better now that I'd drank some tea and talked with Kagome. "Of course," I said as I started off towards my room, Kagome getting up to follow me, grabbing my bag from the floor next to the couch where I'd been lying.

Studying in my room was fine…

We'd just have to close the curtains so I didn't see the well's shrine again.

* * *

><p>Once we started studying, everything went fine.<p>

"Do you know the answer to this problem, Luna-san?" Kagome asked more than once, shifting her math book so that I could look at it, waiting patiently for me to translate when there were kanji to read. "I can't seem to figure it out," she groaned more than once, too. "I can't believe I'm so behind this time!"

I blinked when she said this, looking up from the particularly ugly math problem she'd handed me to try and explain. "_This_ time?" I echoed as I raised an eyebrow at her, adjusting the sleeve of my hoodie.

As Kagome had been getting her books, I'd changed into something more comfortable than the (ugly) short school uniform that I hated wearing. As we sat on the floor of my bedroom now, I was dressed in jeans and a red, long-sleeved V-neck and white hoodie, feeling much more comfortable and at home.

Kagome went stiff and blushed, as if she'd said something wrong. "_This_ time?" she laughed a bit nervously as she buried her face in her book. "Did I really say that? We must be studying too hard…" she trailed off as she looked up at me, eyes almost looking worried.

I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I didn't. She seemed to have enough going on in her own head.

"Your family says you're sick a lot," I mused as I looked back down at the problem she'd asked me to help with. "So, you must miss a lot of school because of it. I assume this time you've been sick longer than normal?" I looked up then, hoping to see her smile. I was trying to make her feel better since she'd seemed so flustered, just like she'd tried to stop me from shivering.

Kagome smiled at me as she nodded, the embarrassment washing from her face. Again I noticed how heavy her eyes seemed - though since I'd first seen her face, they seemed to have lightened a bit.

It couldn't have been easy, being sick all of the time. It was amazing that Kagome was still working on her education with all she had to handle - though it was also obvious that her sicknesses caused her more than just physical grief. Or maybe there really_ was_ something other than the sickness that plagued her (like her two-timing boyfriend, maybe?).

I had a feeling that the reason why Kagome seemed more grown-up, older, was because she'd been through so much, things that the kids at her school never had to deal with.

"I think I've figured this problem out," I said as I held up the book for her to see, moving the conversation on.

I spent the next few minutes explaining it to her, and was both surprised and delighted to see her eyes lighten again when she finally understood the formulae. The next few minutes after that, we spent working on more problems. And as those minutes turned to hours, we became quick friends, just as I'd suspected we would.

So, after a few hours of studying, I felt like I'd known Kagome all my life, like she was an old friend that I'd come to visit, instead of someone I'd just met. If I had been thinking about it, I might have thought the idea creepy, but it didn't occur to me at the time, because I was enjoying Kagome's company too much - enjoying having a real friend in Japan.

But the enjoyment ended quickly.

"It's kind of stuffy in here. Do you mind if I open the window for a minute?" Kagome asked me after our few hours of studying. Looking down at another problem, I nodded without thinking.

It wasn't until what she'd said clicked in my mind that I stood, opening my mouth, reaching out for her as she drew back the curtains.

"Kagome-san, wai-"

My cry came to late, because by then, Kagome had already pulled the curtains back, exposing the well's house to my vision.

I fell to the ground with fear, not wanting to dream again.

* * *

><p><em>This time, I woke up feeling like I was in the mountains, surrounded by snow. It was so cold that my body shook in spasms, though when I opened my eyes, there were no mountains or snow to be seen - only darkness, ugly and thick as a black lagoon. <em>

_The darkness shifted around me as I tried to stand, though my legs shook beneath me violently. I couldn't see the ground, but I felt something hard underneath my feet. As I breathed in and out, my breath creating mist in the cold atmosphere, I got a better look at the darkness. _

_And it was then I noticed that the darkness was moving. Around me drifted a hundred shapes of a hundred things, twisting the space I was in as if they were worms eating through the dirt. I didn't look at any of them longer than I had to, but it didn't take much looking to see what they were -_

_Monsters. _

_I was surrounded by monsters again, just like I had been in the dream I'd had the night before, when I'd once again been falling down a hole, screaming though my voice hadn't made any sound. _

_I tried to keep myself calm as the creatures moved, not seeming to be paying any attention to my presence. I could hear them speaking, though their voices weren't loud enough for me to understand. I tried to think happy thoughts, hoping the thoughts might change my dream, as I stared at my shoes instead of the creatures, praying they would keep ignoring me. _

_Where had my strange dreams taken me to now? And where was Rin? _

_I was reminded of the dream I'd had last, when I'd fainted in class, as I thought of Rin. The horrible noise we'd heard had been a monster as well, and she'd said it was after me. But, when I'd woken up and disappeared from the dream world, had it disappeared too, or had it come after her instead? _

_I shook my head as I thought this, willing myself to focus. As much as I didn't want to see Rin hurt, I had to remind myself that she might or might not have been real. _

_Something strange was happening to me, and some parts of my dreams (or visions) seemed to be real instead of fantasy, but I had no way of knowing which parts were real. Rin seemed like she was real, with her concern for me and her bright, sunshine smile, but I had no way of knowing for sure. _

_After all, maybe I was simply going crazy. Maybe the plane ride over to Japan had messed with my brain, and now I was developing some sort of psychological disease…though I sincerely hoped not. As insane as my dreams had been, the idea that there was some monster after me and that I talked to cute little girl in my sleep seemed much nicer than being stuffed into a loony bin. _

_The creatures surrounding me shifted then, waking me from my reverie, and I looked up to suddenly see their faces looking at me, their long teeth flashing. _

"_It's her, the human," one said in a hissing voice, its red eyes boring into me and making me feel sick - not to mention terrified. "She does not possess it yet, but I can tell." _

_The other creatures nodded when the first, ugly one spoke. _

"_You are right," another creature said, looking something like a cross between a bird and spider. "And if we possess the human, then we shall have power," the spider/bird had barely stopped speaking when suddenly it moved again, rushing towards me. _

_I tried to move out of the way as it raced for me, barely having time to blink. But I only managed to move back a step, tripping over my feet. The ugly creature laughed at this as the other creatures joined it, all of them coming at me as if I were a fish, and they were hungry sharks that wanted to feed. _

_I would have screamed bloody murder, my voice loud and shrill, had not a brilliant light flashed across my vision then, blotting out all of the monsters. I heard loud cries from the creatures as they were destroyed, and then everything went silent. _

_When I managed to open my eyes, blinking rapidly because of how bright the light had been, I found myself wrapped in darkness again - only this time, the creatures were gone. _

_And in their place floated a sword. _

_I stared at the sword as I got shakily to my feet, glancing around a few times to make sure that all of the monsters were gone, that none of them would sneak up on me. It was a huge sword, bigger than any I'd ever seen, and was a strange shape, the edge of the hilt where the sword connected almost…furry? _

"_Tetsusaiga." _

_I shocked myself by speaking, the strange word coming out of my mouth automatically. And as soon as I said the word, the air next to the first sword rippled, and another sword appeared. It was a lot plainer than the first sword, looking more like a traditional weapon, but something about it registered with me. _

"_Tenseiga." _

_I said the second word - which I was beginning to think was a name - and blinked, confused. The two swords stayed put as I stared at them in confusion, floating in the darkness, outlined by light as if they were beacons. _

_What was going on here? Why did it feel like I'd seen these swords before, and how did I know their names? Did swords even have names? _

_I stared at the swords for another moment before they both suddenly vanished, replaced by another bright, golden light. _

"_Ah, so it is you," a voice erupted from the glowing light, strong and steady and definitely masculine. I squinted into the light and could see a figure, though I couldn't really tell what they looked like. "Such a long time it has been, Irazumi." _

_I took a step back, though I didn't feel afraid. I was reminded of the first time I'd met Rin, what seemed like a million years ago though it had only been two days, when I heard the name. _

"_Um…there must be a mistake," I felt my voice waver and swallowed, willing it to calm down. "My name isn't Irazumi, it's Luna. And just who are you, anyway?" _

_The figure in the glowing light chuckled, as if my words amused them. "Time is short, my dear child, so there is no use explaining," they said, and I began to notice the darkness around me dissipate, the light and the figure in it growing steadily hazy. "But before you must leave, I have one thing to tell you, and one thing to show," the golden light and its figure extended their hand (at least I assumed it was their hand) to the darkness in front of me, and the two swords appeared again. _

_The larger, thicker sword named Tetsusaiga moved first, swinging in an arc, like it would if someone were moving it. And then I realized - someone was in fact moving it. As the sword swung again, I saw a faint outline of the person wielding it, their expression fierce, their outfit a bright, almost painful red. But I only got a glimpse of the figure, because as soon as Tetsusaiga moved the second time, the sword and its bearer vanished… _

_Which left the second sword, the Tenseiga, all on its own. As I watched, my mouth hanging open, the Tenseiga moved as well, just as the Tetsusaiga had, and a different figure appeared before suddenly vanishing along with the sword. The thing I noticed most about the second figure was their expression, which was nearly blank, nearly unfeeling - _

_And ruthless. Completely ruthless. _

_But that wasn't the only thing that stuck out about the figure who had bore the Tenseiga. As their image echoed in my mind, I felt my heart thump loudly in recognition. _

_I had no idea who either of the swordsmen had been, but the second one had looked eerily familiar, though I was positive I'd never seen either of them before. _

_I swallowed thickly, feeling almost sick, as I turned my attention back to the figure shrouded in the golden light. "Who...was…?" I tried to ask, but my mouth didn't want to work just yet. _

_It may have been my imagination, but I was sure the figure clothed in light smiled at this as the darkness around us grew fainter, and I started to feel heavy, like I might wake up soon. "There is little time for explanations, as I have explained," he repeated, and though I didn't really like his answer, I nodded. "Now, for what I have left to tell you…" their eyes locked onto my gaze and grew serious, and I could see that they were golden - golden and slitted, almost like an animal's. _

"_You have a power far greater than you realize, though it does not give you strength in the traditional sense. It will not protect you from harm, and it will not cause you to defeat your enemies, but it will aide you all the same," the figure paused as my heaviness grew to where I wasn't sure how much longer I could stand up. "I cannot tell you the nature of this power at present. You must discover it on your own, Irazumi," the darkness around me began to turn white as I began to fall. _

_I knew I was headed towards the waking world, that I was falling out of my dream into reality, but that didn't stop me from reaching out towards the strange, glowing figure. It didn't stop me from saying:_

"_Wait! What do you mean? I don't understand any of this!" _

_And just before my eyes opened, admitting me into the real world again, I was sure I heard the glowing figure's voice responding: _

"_Do not worry. You will understand in time." _

* * *

><p>When I opened my eyes, it was once again Souta's face that greeted me, giving me a large, wide and open smile.<p>

"You're awake again, Luna-san," he said as I blinked, taking a look around, unable to believe that I was back in my room. My head hurt as I tried to transition my mind to think about Souta and the fact that I was awake, pushing my weird dream aside for now. "You had another fainting spell. Okaa-san was really worried. We almost took you to the hospital, but ojii-san said that you would be fine," Souta frowned at that, as if he didn't believe it. "Ojii-san says you haven't eaten enough, and probably have low blood-sugar or something."

I felt myself groan as I sat up, rubbing the back of my head. Thoughts and images from my dream echoed in my mind as I looked around, my eyes feeling heavy.

At least Souta's grandfather had thought up a viable excuse for my fainting spell. It made perfect sense when I thought about it. I hadn't eaten much that day, so naturally, my body would have been feeling as though it were lacking in energy, which might have caused me to pass out from low blood-sugar just as Souta's grandfather had said…

At least, that was the front I would put on, what Souta and his family would believe. I knew the truth, however - and that was that there was something very, very strange going on, and that the moment I'd seen the building that housed the well out back, I'd fainted from the sight of it.

But the question was: _why_? Why did my body seem to react so badly to the well? Why did I keep having these strange dreams? And -

I literally stopped breathing as a thought hit me.

Souta and his mother and his grandfather believed that I was overtired, that I wasn't eating enough, that those things had caused me to faint - _but what about Kagome_? She'd been in my room with me, studying, when I'd passed out. Had she seen that I'd fainted when I'd set eyes on the building housing the well? Was she feeling suspicious?

It wasn't the first time she'd noticed my aversion to the well. Earlier that day, when I'd started to shiver at the sight of it, she'd seen what I'd been looking at.

Had Kagome figured out my secret?

I tried to keep myself from panicking as I suddenly sat up, surprising Souta, and looked around my room. The books Kagome and I had been studying earlier were stacked over in the corner neatly, and there was no sign of the black-haired girl. I bit my lip as I took another look around, wondering if she were hiding.

"Where is Kagome, Souta-san?" I asked just as the door to my bedroom slid open, and in entered Souta's mother, Mrs. Higurashi.

She looked a bit worried as she came over to my bed, where I was lying, and handed me a cup of tea. "Kagome-chan wasn't feeling well, so she's back in bed," she said, and I felt my heart sink - both out of sadness for Kagome, and out of worry for my secret. "It seems she has the stomach flu this time, which won't last long, so she should hopefully be better in a few days," I saw her sigh at that, and noticed that she had the same heaviness in her eyes that Kagome did.

"She sure left quickly this time," Souta added as a bonus, his eyes dark as well. I don't even think he noticed how strange it sounded - almost as if Kagome was _gone_, and not just sick.

There was something plaguing this whole family, and though they said it was Kagome's sicknesses, I had a sneaking feeling that they were lying.

"How are you feeling now, Luna-san?" Mrs. Higurashi moved away from the Kagome topic quickly, smiling at me as I sipped my tea - which tasted awful and was probably one of Souta's grandfather's blends, though I certainly wasn't about to say anything about it. "If you'd like, I'll make you something to eat."

I nodded quickly as food was offered, hearing my stomach rumble as I tried to play-drink the tea. "That would be lovely, please," I said, and Mrs. Higurashi smiled again, starting towards my door to go and prepare the food.

"I'll have it ready in a few moments, and bring it to you," she said as she was about to exit the room, and then stopped, looking at Souta, who was still sitting next to my bed. "Give Luna-san some time to rest, Souta-kun," she said, and the little boy nodded.

"Hope you feel better, Luna-san," he said as he too stood, grinned, and exited my room, sliding shut the door behind him.

I sat on the bed for a moment, all that had happened to me swirling like a whirlwind in my brain, before I suddenly stood up, setting the tea I'd been fakely drinking aside. I felt my legs shake for a moment before they regained their power, and I slowly strode over to the window.

The curtains had been closed sometime after I'd fainted, so I couldn't see the well's building anymore. I walked all the way up to the window before I stopped, my hand resting just above the drawstring for the curtains, my emotions conflicting inside of me.

I didn't want to faint again and cause the Higurashi's worry, but I wanted to know what was going on, what was happening to me. And if I didn't see the well again, I would have to wait until the next time my body decided it wanted to sleep, and I just couldn't do that.

I had to know what was going on. I needed some answers.

I took in a deep breath as I braced myself, and then yanked open the curtains, admitting the well's house into my view. The moment I saw it I felt an instant aversion, just as I had the other times I'd laid eyes on it, but I didn't feel sick or faint, which surprised me. My teeth ground together in nervousness as I stared at the somehow terrifying building, before I noticed something else outside - something that shouldn't have been there.

Kagome, dressed in her school uniform with a jacket and a scarf, headed towards the well's shrine, carrying a bright yellow backpack on her shoulders. She stopped once before she entered the building, looking around, and closed the sliding doors behind her once she was satisfied.

She didn't look sick. She didn't look like she was in pain. If anything, she looked like she was ready for a long camping trip, lively enough to go fishing and hiking and sight-seeing.

She didn't look sick. And she was in the well's shrine.

I felt my lips purse as I closed the curtains, blocking the sight from my eyes. I barely registered what I was doing as I went over to my door and slid it open, checking to make sure that no one was looking. When I realized that the coast was clear, I walked quickly and quietly to the back door and stepped out, putting on my shoes first.

I walked towards the well with purpose in my steps. I planned what I would say to Kagome when I got inside the building. I decided that I wouldn't leave without answers.

Because Kagome knew what was going on - and I wanted to know, too.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoyed chapter three of Full Moon! I've been working really hard on this story, so hopefully it shows. <strong>

**This chapter is dedicated to my reviewers from last chapter: _KuramaEnzanBlues, lulu, Chrystal_Wolf_Guardian_967_. Thank you for your comments. Please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think! **

**A NOTE: as some of you may have noticed, I've given the Prologue its own little space (thus giving me four "chapters" now). I've also changed a few little (_very little_) things in the last few chapters - mostly inconsistencies I found. They don't effect the story any, so you won't have to go back and look for them, but I wanted to explain why there are now four "chapters".  
><strong>

**Thank you for reading chapter three of Full Moon. Please keep an eye on this story and come back for chapter four, which will hopefully be out soon. I'm working hard on it! **

**~Ray**


	5. Chapter Four: Sinking and Saving

**Full Moon**

_Sinking and Saving_

As I stepped towards the shrine housing the well, I couldn't help but reflect on all that had happened to me since I'd arrived in Japan.

It was strange, but when I'd been on my way to this new country, having left my own, I'd hoped for something adventurous to happen to me - and I'd _gotten_ my wish, though not in the way I'd expected I would.

Here I was, walking purposefully towards the building that housed the well at the Higurashi's shrine, and so much had happened. Not only was I having strange dreams (strange dreams that were different each time, almost like a story was playing out, unlike the dream I normally would have had), but I was also fainting left and right, which had never happened to me before. I was following around Kagome, a girl who had up until now been sick, but who had suddenly seemed to recover, going to the exact same place that was haunting me carrying a big, yellow, stuffed backpack like she was going camping.

I knew that there were probably logical explanations for everything happening to me (some of which the Higurashi family had already told me), but as I stepped closer to the well's shrine, trying to keep my legs from shaking, keep my courage up, and my throat from closing in on me, I couldn't help but push the explainations to the side. Though it wasn't normal for me to think of anything mystical or magical or out of the ordinary, now that I was in Japan, unordinary seemed to be taking over my brain.

My mind pushed my dreams and insecurities aside as I stopped in front of the well's shrine, my hands outstretched, nearly resting on the edge of the sliding doors, waiting to pry them open. I could hear movement from inside the building, no doubt Kagome, and I could feel the blood pulsing in my ears, my heart pounding. I knew I was close to figuring the puzzle that had become my life out.

All I had to do now was open the door, and let the truth out.

There was a loud sound from inside of the well's shrine as I started to slide the doors open, sounding almost like a _thump_, as if someone were jumping and then landing on the floor heavily. My racing pulse grew louder as the doors opened and I stepped in, looking around for Kagome, sure that the sound was her…

But when I entered the well's building, seeing how dull and almost boring it was, there was no sign of the black-haired Japanese girl. Instead I was met with an empty space, stairs, and of course, _the well_.

My aversion to the well grew even stronger now that I was actually looking at it, and I felt my body curl in on itself slightly as I gagged, feeling sick. The air around me seemed choked with dust as I tried to breathe, and every warning signal in my mind fired with alarm, telling me to get out of there quick.

I didn't listen to my instincts, though. Instead, I stepped further into the shrine and slid the doors closed behind me, just as Kagome had, my body resisting every movement I made. I didn't want Kagome's mother or brother to see the doors to the well's shrine were open and come to find us. I still needed to talk to Kagome - and I knew she was in here somewhere, hiding.

"Kagome-san?" I called as I walked further into the shrine, starting down the wooden steps towards the lurking well, my legs feeling stiff as metal rods beneath me. No voice answered me, so I called out again: "Kagome-san?" my voice was louder this time, but died off as I stepped closer to the well and caught a glimpse inside.

My body felt cold as I peered over the lip of the well into its interior, seeing a strange, glowing, almost purple light. The light danced before my eyes as, somewhere far beneath me, I saw a shape that looked exactly like a person - that looked exactly like _Kagome_.

Kagome was floating in the purple light, moving downward and growing fainter as the light danced around her. She didn't seem fazed as she moved, shuttled along. In fact, she looked almost used to it, like she did it every day. On her back I could faintly see her yellow backpack.

"Kagome-san!" I yelled her name this time, my voice cracking at the end, but she didn't hear me. Panicked and worried for her safety, my aversion to the well and everything around it was forgotten as I leaned over and gripped the lip of the well, shouting again. "Kagome-san!" I sounded desperate the second time, but still she didn't hear me.

As panicked as I was, I didn't have time to think. I had no idea what was going on or how to help Kagome, but I knew I had to do _something_. So, after yelling her name one last time, I stepped away from the well and started for the stairs, to run and get some help. My legs felt like gel instead of steel now, wobbling beneath me.

I didn't get far from the well, though, and I wasn't able to get help for Kagome.

Instead, I was dragged towards the well as something long, black, and slimy wrapped around me, pulling me back and swallowing my screams.

* * *

><p><em>The next thing I knew, I saw Rin. <em>

"_Luna-san," she said with a smile as she appeared in front of me, hands clasped behind her in a cute way. "I'm so glad to see you again!" I could tell that her happiness was genuine, and that from the weight that lifted off of her brown eyes that she'd been worried about me. _

_My mind couldn't adjust to where I was, so though my mouth moved, no words came out. I knew that I was dreaming again, and that in reality, something important was happening. And though part of me was delighted to see Rin, I really wanted to get back to what was happening in my waking life. _

_A monster had been pulling me down the well. And any moment, I could be dead, never to see my country or my family again. _

"_You're okay, Luna-san," Rin's smile lessened a bit, but it made me feel better none the less. "It'll be over soon," her smile turned sad then, and I felt my heart sink. _

_Over? _

_How could it be over? I didn't want to die! _

"_I haven't really had a chance to live yet!" my mouth finally found its voice, which was full of panic. "Please, Rin, how do I wake up? I have to get out of here! I have to help Kagome-san!" I looked around, and noticed we weren't in the meadow that we'd been in the last two times I'd seen her. Instead, we were in a forest, deep and pretty, like in a fairy tale. _

_I knew I sounded frantic, like I was losing my mind, but I couldn't help it. Though I was dreaming, I knew what was happening in my waking life - knew that right now, I was in the clutches of a monster, and that Kagome was being swallowed up by a purple light. _

_Nothing made logical sense, and all of it was crazy, but for some reason or other, it was the reality I'd been given. _

_Rin's eyes turned sad too as her smile vanished, an almost blank look on her face. "Kagome-sama will be alright - she always is. And I don't think you're going to die, Luna-san - he won't let you," I wanted to ask her who she was talking about, but she didn't give me time. "You have to meet everyone - he told me so. It's part of the game." _

"_Game?" the word tumbled out of my mouth numbly, and suddenly I felt heavy, the feeling I got whenever I was close to waking up. "What game? I'm not playing a game!" _

_This was my life! _

_Rin offered me another smile as the wind began to blow, rustling the leaves of the trees surrounding us, her smile almost apologetic. "I don't know, Luna-san," she said, and though it annoyed me that I wasn't getting answers, I knew I couldn't be mad at her for it. "He didn't tell me everything…" she trailed off then as the wind blowing through the trees picked up, and my vision began to blur dangerously. _

_And though I wanted to wake up and face whatever it was that had come after me, I clung to the dream as long as I could then, willing my vision not to be blurry, willing my body not to feel heavy. I wanted to save Kagome and I wanted to fight off whatever monster was attacking me (though I knew I had little chance of accomplishing either of those things, because saving Kagome seemed nearly impossible, and I was definitely _not_ a fighter), but I also didn't want to leave Rin. _

_Last time I had seen her, she'd been scared, and now she was worried - all for me. I couldn't help but be angry with myself for putting her through the turmoil I was inflicting, whether she was real or not. And though it was honestly selfish, I didn't want to leave her smile behind, because it comforted me. Somehow, since coming to Japan, Rin was the thing that felt closest to home. _

_Though I knew that I had to let her go for now. _

_Rin seemed to sense my thoughts, and she laughed, her bright, sunshine smile showing again. "Don't worry, Luna-san. We'll see each other again!" she said cheerily before my vision turned to darkness, and I headed for the nightmare waiting for me. _

* * *

><p>The flesh of the ugly, slimy, cold monster coiled around me reminded me of snakeskin as my eyes opened, and I fought the urge to scream, fully embedded in the monster's grasp. I shook my dream away as I tried to move, tried to escape, wanting to clear my mind so I could think. I kept ahold of Rin's smile, though, because if I was going to die, I at least wanted to picture <em>something<em> pleasant.

The monster tightened its hold on me as I moved an inch, and I felt my breath rush from my lungs, its grip choking me. I heard a sinister laugh as it twisted, swiveling its head towards me, its red eyes glowing. Though its body was more akin to a snake, its head reminded me of a wolf, its long fangs gleaming.

"Irazumi, I have found you at last," the thing said as I struggled to stay conscious, my vision blurring again - though not in a way that suggested I was falling asleep. I knew then that I was dying from lack of oxygen, and the thought scared me to the core, adrenaline running through my veins and making me feel sick. "I've been waiting for you to enter this well," the monster laughed. "It has taken so long; I thought you'd never come, Irazumi."

If I could have replied to the monster, I would have spit in its face, cursing it. But my racing, panicked mind knew I couldn't reply, because I had no breath in my lungs.

This was it. It was the end for me. I was going to die inside of a well, unable to help Kagome, unable to see my family again.

I was going to die before I'd had a chance to live.

Another of the monster's laughs rang through my ears as the creature moved again. I felt air rush back into my lungs as I gasped, its snake-like body loosening around me. The few inches I had gained weren't enough to set me free, but they did clear my head.

I blinked tears out of my eyes, gasping for air, and found myself staring straight into the monster's eyes. The creature growled as its eyes narrowed, and it looked more than angry.

"What!" it nearly shouted as it shifted again, and I almost flew out of its grasp. I screamed as my body moved through the vast void of purple nothingness, and it caught onto me again. "This cannot be!" I had no idea what it was talking about, but I followed its eyes as I gathered the breath to scream again, knowing that I shouldn't have bothered, because no one would hear me.

When I followed its gaze, I found it looking at my arm. At some point since I'd fallen down the well after Kagome, my jacket had been ripped, so that now the bottom half of the right sleeve was gone, a small gash sliced into my skin. I had no idea why the sight of my forearm angered the monster, but as I looked back into its eyes, I found it didn't matter.

With a shout of rage, the creature flung me away, and I hit something hard - the tail-like end of the creature's body, which was fat, plated and thick as a rock. The breath was sucked out of me yet again as I saw spots, my body floating there in the void, unable to fall.

The monster stretched and lengthened then, its red eyes growing brighter, angrier. "This cannot be!" it shouted again as its top lip curled back, exposing even more of its fangs, about to attack me. "You filthy human, you tricked me! You are the Irazumi, but you do not possess it yet!" it hissed at me, sounding like a snake though its head resembled a wolf, and I shook in fear.

I had no idea what it wanted, no idea what it was talking about. But, as the words it had said echoed in my mind, I was reminded of something -

In the dream I'd had before I'd followed Kagome to the well - the one with the strange golden light, with the evil creatures - one of the monster's hovering near me had mentioned "it" as well, had mentioned that I was the one it had been looking for, but that I didn't have whatever it wanted yet.

What were these creatures after? What did the thing they wanted have to do with me? And what did my dreams and the well have to do with them, with Kagome?

My heart raced as the creature hissed again, growing bigger as it stretched, and I looked around me. Kagome's small form was gone now, stolen by the purple void, and I had no idea if she were safe. Maybe the monster had eaten her before it had grabbed me, and I simply hadn't seen it?

My beating heart ached with pain at that thought. Though I hadn't known Kagome for very long (though it had seemed like a long time when I'd been talking to her, as if I'd known her all my life), she was a really good friend, and I didn't want to lose her.

My will grew strong as I thought of Kagome, and then thought of Rin. Kagome was in danger (if she was still alive), and Rin had wanted to see me again. I owed them both something, so I had to make sure that I escaped from the monster.

"What are you talking about?" my voice wavered when I spoke to the creature, who laughed in my face, but it was still strong. "I'm not this Irazumi you're looking for, so just leave me alone!"

The creature reeled back when I spoke, as if confused, but then it leaned forward, and I could feel its deadly breath on my face. "You _are_ the Irazumi," it said as its red eyes flashed. "And since you refuse to give me that which I desire, I shall have to devour you now," its mouth curved into an ugly, cruel smile as its teeth flashed, headed straight for me.

I screamed as I tried to dodge it, but suddenly, there was no place to go. The tail-like end of the creature's body reappeared behind me as I floated backwards in the void, the creature's mouth reaching out for me, ready and amped for the kill.

So, with no way to protect myself, I did the only thing I could think to do.

"HELP!" I screamed as loud as I could, closing my eyes, though I knew no one would be coming to my rescue…

And then suddenly, everything was silent.

I swallowed thickly as I felt a shiver travel up my spine, more than sure that I was dead. I thought of my parents, my friends, my brother, and the Higurashi's and Rin as I forced myself to open my eyes and face my fate in the afterlife.

But, when I opened my eyes, all I saw was the purple void of the well - and a golden, shimmering light, in which resided a very familiar figure - the same figure from my before-the-well dream.

"Greetings, Irazumi," the masculine voice said, the figure's golden eyes piercing through me. "I am surprised to see you here so soon, though just the same, it is best that the game begins at this time."

When I heard the word "game", my temper flared, and I began to wonder if this figure was the person Rin had been talking to. "I'm not playing a game!" I shouted hotly, and the figure's lips curled into an almost amused smile, their face starting to become a little visible, though the rest of them was still too shrouded in light to see clearly. "I'm tired of things attacking me! I want to know what's going_ on_!" I knew it was probably bad for me to lose my temper, but I was angry.

And since Kagome was gone to who-knew-where, this figure was the only one who seemed to be able to give me information, because if anyone knew what was happening to me, it was them, obviously.

"You shall learn the full truth in time," the figure in the golden light sighed slightly then, and I felt some of my anger slip away. Where before they had seemed amused, like they might be laughing on the inside, now they looked almost..._sad,_ in a way. "As for now, there is no time to explain. You should already be on your way."

"_Way_?" I blinked at the word, my heart sinking. Something about it sounded foreboding. "And where will I be going, exactly?"

The figure in the golden light chuckled at my question, though the sadness didn't leave their eyes. "You shall meet friends and foes, Irazumi, and be hunted by the greatest of _youkai,_" I shivered when he said the word "youkai", knowing exactly what it meant - demons. "And I will help you along your journey. But for now, I leave you with a gift."

"Gift?" I blinked again when I heard the word, confused, and then suddenly the purple void around us started to move, streaking by me like a ship flying in light-speed. I gasped as I was grabbed from behind by some invisible, unseen force, dragged away from the glowing light and the figure in it as the purple void continued on its way.

And that's when I felt it - something glowed from my right forearm as a burning sensation snaked through my skin, making me cry out. I looked down at it as I was dragged along, gritting my teeth against the pain, but I couldn't tell what it was, what was happening to me. The pain wasn't so bad that it was excruciating, but it hurt all the same.

When I looked up again, still being dragged backwards, I saw the figure in the golden light staring at me, their bright eyes flickering in an almost familiar way. "Best wishes, Irazumi," they said. "I shall see you again," and then they started to vanish, fading out as if they were a ghost.

But I didn't want them to leave yet. I was still confused, still scared, still had no idea what to expect. I hadn't signed up for any of this. I had only come to take classes in Japan, not be hunted down by demons!

"Wait!" I shouted as the void around me began to disappear too, my body still being dragged backwards, away from everything. "I still don't understand!"

If the figure's eyes had looked sad before, they turned even darker now as their form continued to fade away, now nearly gone. "Adversity lies in store for you, Irazumi," they said, and then frowned, their sadness even darker then. "But perhaps, through it, you will be able to unite my sons."

For some reason, everything seemed to stop moving then, the world going silent. The purple void around me stopped streaking by, the force pulling me stopped pulling, and my lungs stopped breathing. The only thing that continued to move was the figure and its golden light, both of which disappeared completely then.

_Sons? _I found myself thinking, mind racing as I tried to piece together what he'd meant.

And then it hit me, and before I blacked out again, falling into unconsciousness, I saw it -

And what I saw was the two figures I'd seen before, swinging their swords: the first wore red and had a fierce expression, determination showing in his eyes, the desire to protect; and the second who had that cold, chilling gaze, aristocratic and prideful, a born killer who cared little for anything.

How different they were - and yet, somehow, still the same.

* * *

><p><em>When I opened my eyes, I saw Rin again, though everything around us was blank, white as a blank space. Her smile was cheery when she laid eyes on me, more like the sun than ever before. <em>

"_You're closer than you've ever been now, Luna-san," she said. And then she closed her eyes, bowing her head slightly, smile curving. "I can feel it." _

* * *

><p>When I gasped, my eyes shooting open, it was raining, the drops falling from the sky above me and hitting me face. Beneath me I could feel wet, clingy dirt, and beside me I could feel my arm, splayed out, still burning slightly.<p>

Everything I'd just heard and felt and seen echoed in my mind as I looked around, feeling panicked. From what I could tell, I was lying at the bottom of the Higurashi's well, though it looked different than it had when I'd last seen it. For one thing, there were vines crawling up the sides of it, and above, the sky was visible, the well's shrine completely gone now. I could hear noises echo from nearby, outside of the well, though I wasn't sure what they were - only sure that they definitely weren't the sounds of Kagome's family.

Confusion and terror occupied me as I gathered the courage to turn my head and look at my exposed forearm. And as soon as I did, the burning in it stopped, and as I gasped, a rush of blinding light shot forth from it, beaming up and hitting the sky above me.

The light lingered high in the sky for a moment as I turned my gaze to watch it, feeling panic grow stronger inside of me. The light itself was pure and white, but there was something about it that felt almost sinister, like it might turn around, come back, and devour me.

I turned and looked at my forearm again as the light dissipated, noticing that it now had a dark, black, tattoo-like design on it. And suddenly, I heard a roar echo from above, and I swallowed thickly, knowing exactly what it was - knowing that this was only the beginning.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello, readers! That was chapter four of "Full Moon". I really hope everyone enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.<strong>

**This chapter is dedicated to: KuramaEnzanBlues, ImmolationPiggieOfDoom, ..LoVe, and Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967. Thank you for your comments! I'd also like to thank everyone who added this story to their alert and/or favorites. **

**Please leave me comments, and let me know what you think!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter Five: Time and Tears

**Full Moon**

_Time and Tears_

I don't know when or how I mustered the courage to get up.

My breathing was erratic as I looked away from my weird, tattoo-like mark and sat up, pushing my auburn bangs from my wet face, the rain still drizzling above me. My legs felt more like gel than they ever had as I shakily settled them beneath me, standing.

"It's okay, Luna. It must only be a dream," I tried to reassure myself as I looked up, seeing the raining sky above me. I shivered once and adjusted my hoodie, zipping it up. Then I started for the wall of the well, where vines were growing, the roaring that was echoing above me growing louder than before, now near a screech. "All you have to do is get out of this well, and then you'll wake up. You must have fallen and hit your head. And when you wake up, Kagome will be there, and she'll explain everything…" I trailed off as I grabbed onto one of the vines littering the side of the well, not believing a word that I was saying.

I knew what was going on. I knew this was real, as crazy as it seemed. I just didn't want to believe it - and who could blame me? I'd just been attacked by a monster, been saved by some strange figure enveloped in a glowing light, and now I was trapped, with more monsters probably on their way.

And who knew where Kagome was. I wasn't sure if the monster that had tried to eat me had swallowed her, or if she'd gotten away. Just the thought that she might be dead made my heart shudder in pain.

But if she _was_ still alive? Since I'd gone through the well and ended up wherever I was now, if she were still alive, there was the possibility that she was here with me, only a few steps away.

The thought that a live, smiling, answer-filled Kagome was in my reach gave me courage, and I gripped the vine closest to me harshly, tugging to see if it would hold my weight. Surprisingly, the vine was thick and sturdy enough to hold me, so I began to climb, keeping my eyes trained on the sky above me, blinking rain out of my eyes. I tried not to think about the roaring, screeching voice that sounded close enough to breathe on me as I headed up the well's wall, but no matter how hard I tried to force the thought away, still it plagued my mind.

What kind of monster was waiting up there for me? Would it be large, huge, and snake-like, like the monster that had found me in the well, or would it be smaller, looking harmless though it was harmful?

Though I didn't want to find out what was waiting, I climbed further up the well, until my hands were resting directly at its lip, about to pull me out of it. As the roaring vibrated through me, my hands shook, and I poked my head out of the well. Surrounding me were trees, in front of them a flat landscape of grass. The air that passed by me was cold and chilly - much colder than it had been before I'd fallen into the well, when I'd been following Kagome.

Though I wanted to scream at the sight, I forced myself not to, knowing that I had to stay calm if I wanted to succeed in finding my friend - in finding a way away from the monster growing closer to me, directly on the other side of the thick forest of trees. I had no idea where I was, or how exactly I'd ended up there, but I knew I definitely wasn't in Japan - at least, not the Japan I'd been in before.

Adrenaline started to pulse through my veins as I slowly pulled myself out of the well, the roaring at all an all time high, fear shivering down my spine. But even with the added speed of adrenaline, I wasn't fast enough to hide before the monster came barreling out of the trees towards me.

When I saw it, I _did_ scream, unable to help it. I stumbled back, hitting the edge of the well as a giant praying mantis-like creature swept its saw-like arm my way, barely missing me. The almost-blow put me into shock, so when the creature stepped forward, I was defenseless, unable to run.

The creature's eyes met mine, and I was staring into twin pools of boiling blood. "Irazumi," it hissed in a buzzing voice, raising its claw to strike at me again.

And I knew it was the end for me. Still unable to move, breathe, or think, I said my silent goodbyes to Kagome, Rin, and my family -

And then the monster screeched, crying out as an arrow flew through the air and embedded itself in its saw-like arm. Shock coursed through me as the creature reared back, and more arrows came its way, embedding themselves into its buggy flesh. I heard a human shout and a few cries as the monster started to slink away, though the voices sounded fuzzy as I blinked, suddenly feeling dizzy.

I saw bodies - _humans_ - rush forward towards the monster as it tried to escape, embedding more arrows into its arm and torso, the creature letting out more foul screeches. I sank to the ground as the people passed me, my body leaning against the well as the world turned dark, the darkness surrounding around me.

Before I passed out, I saw an elderly woman's face appear above me. She was staring at me with wide eyes as my world spun dizzily, telling me that everything would be alright…

And I wanted to reply, telling her that I didn't believe her - because everything was certainly _not_ alright - but my mouth didn't get the chance to move before the darkness took me.

* * *

><p><em>When I woke, I was sitting by a tree, the wind blowing softly around me, the sky blue above the trees branches. I shook my head as I looked around at a vast, empty space, where, off in the distance, I could faintly see a small village. People moved around the town as I stared, my eyebrows creasing, not understanding what was going on. <em>

_The people in the village looked…strange. Old - not in age, but in the way they dressed. Even from far away I could see they were waring kimonos and hakamas - traditional Japanese dress, certainly not something you saw very often anymore. Or, at least I myself hadn't seen much of it. But maybe if I asked Kagome - _

_I gasped as everything came rushing back, and I remembered what had happened to me. My memories of the past few days flooded through my mind like a movie in fast-forward, moving much too quickly, though I somehow still managed to understand them. _

_I had fallen through the well, and Kagome was gone - trapped somewhere in whatever place it was that we had ended up in. I had just been attacked by a giant praying mantis, and someone had saved me…there had been an elderly lady however over me. _

_I looked around again as my mind pieced everything together quickly, realizing that I must have been in another dream, since the world around me was bright and surreal. I sighed as I pushed myself away from the tree and stood up, deciding to have a look around. I knew from past experience that I wouldn't be able to wake up until my body was ready to, so getting in touch with my dream's scenery couldn't hurt. _

_Maybe I would see Rin again. After what I had been through in the last few minutes, I knew her smile would cheer me up, and I found myself wishing for it. _

_As I walked away from the tree and the village grew closer, I walked by a tiny pool of water. And as I walked by the pond I caught my reflection, and the reflection made me pause. _

_My mouth gaped open as I stared at it, my mind in jumbles once again. _

_Staring back at me was the face of a young girl, her auburn hair tied back into a ponytail, her green eyes big and bright. She wore a flower-printed sundress and had on sandals, a gleaming watch on her wrist. As I rose my hand and moved it, she waved at me. _

_I stepped back from the pool as terror and confusion flooded me, knowing exactly who that little girl was. _

_I'd seen her before, in a variety of photos. She was six years old, and she liked to spend time outside. She was very curious, and was learning to speak Japanese…_

_Her name was Luna, Luna Webster. _

_The little girl whose reflection shone in the pond was me. _

_But why had I turned back to being six in this dream? Why wasn't I my normal self, like in the other dreams? _

_I hadn't dreamed about myself being younger since the night before I'd come to Japan, when I'd once again had my normal dream, the one I'd dreamed every night since I'd turned seven. So why now? What had changed? Did it have something to do with me falling through the well? _

"_Luna-san." _

_When the voice spoke, my thoughts were shattered, and I turned around to face a boy, probably a few years older than my current "age". He smiled at me in a slightly creepy way as I stared at him, not sure I'd heard him right. _

"_Did you just speak to me?" I asked, cocking my head at him in confusion. I didn't remember ever having seen the boy before, but somehow he seemed to know me. _

_The boy's smile curved at the tips, and he nodded. His black hair was long and pulled back from his face in a traditional style, and he was wearing the same traditional clothes that I'd spotted the people in the town wearing, his robes a dark color. His brown eyes looked friendly enough, though, somehow, when I looked at them I got the feeling that they should have been a different color, instead of their dark brown that was nearly black. _

"_Yes, Luna-san," the boy said as he reached towards me, offering me a strangely colored, almost ivory flower. "It's been a while since I saw you last. Where have you been hiding?" _

_My eyebrows furrowed as I looked from the boy to the flower, not sure if I wanted to take it or not. It was only a flower, so it couldn't possibly hurt me, but I'd learned from both reality and my dreams to not take things from strangers. _

_That and, in the dreams I'd had since I'd arrived in Japan, flowers always seemed to do something to me. I couldn't forget the flower that Rin had first given me, and the one I'd picked from the meadow we'd been in: the too-bright red and golden flowers, the red one of which had died in my grasp._

"_I'm sorry, but…how do you know me?" I asked as I looked from the flower to the boy, whose smile dimmed since I wouldn't take his offered gift. Try as I might, I couldn't seem to remember him, though the harder I looked at him, the more I got the feeling that I knew him from somewhere, though I wasn't sure where that might be. _

"_You used to come here often, Luna-san," the boy said as he pointed to the village with his flower-free hand, never taking his dark eyes off of me. "We were friends. I'm saddened that you don't remember me," his eyes turned dark again as he offered me the flower another time. _

_And I felt bad for the boy. Those eyes of his looked lonely, and though I had no idea who he was, he obviously thought highly of me. So, giving into my feelings of guilt, I took the strangely colored flower from him, feeling it was the least I could do to ease his sadness. _

_But, taking the flower turned out to be a mistake. _

_The moment it passed from his hand to mine, it caught flame and turned to dust, and I started to feel dizzy - not the dizzy that I normally felt when I was falling out of a dream and back into reality, but the kind of dizzy that meant there was something wrong with me. _

_The world spun around me as my body grew heavy, and I fell to the ground, landing right next to the little pool that had shown me my reflection. My eyes caught the surface of the pool, and in it I saw something else standing next to me where the boy should have been: a taller figure, which looked almost like a man. _

_I turned my eyes back to the boy, afraid. I opened my mouth to speak, and it felt dry. "What did you...do to me?" I asked the boy as he walked forward and stared down at me, looking like a giant as his dark eyes narrowed, and his curving smile turned ugly. _

_Suddenly, the sky overhead turned dark, and the wind began to blow again, whipping the tree leaves. I felt my hands begin to shake and my vision begin to render spots as the boy towering over me lengthened, until he wasn't a boy at all, but a man, his dark hair long and wavy, whipping in the wind. He was the figure I'd seen reflected in the pool, and his eyes finally suited him now, because they were pulsing and red. _

_The man laughed in a dark, sinister way, his voice much different than the boy's. "Irazumi, did you really think you could hide from me for long?" he asked in a rhetorical way, as if he assumed that I knew everything that was going on. "That was foolish of you, and now that I have you lying there, you won't be able to escape," his eyes flashed as his smile curved again, horrifying though his face displayed nothing but calm. _

_The dream around me continued to grow darker as I fought to move, my vision blurring again as I felt sick. I knew what I was seeing wasn't real in the normal sense because I was asleep, but I also knew that I had to find a way to escape, because something about this dream was different than the others -_

_The man standing over me was scary and evil, and though I was dreaming, I felt like he might be able to actually reach out and touch me - or use the dream to track me down so he could capture me in real life. And I certainly didn't want that. _

_All I wanted was to wake up again, find out what was happening in the real world so that I could go home. _

_As the evil man laughed silently my left hand managed to twitch, my fingers scraping at the dirt underneath me. And by the time the man noticed what I was doing, I had already managed to fling a handful of dirt at him, distracting him long enough so that he broke eye contact with me, and whatever weight had been pressed onto my chest disappeared. _

_And my body started to feel heavy then, the sinking kind of feeling I got whenever I was about to exit a dream. I found myself able to woozily stand, glaring at the evil man as he looked back at me. _

_I expected him to be angry. I expected him to cry out in rage, or try and attack me. But he didn't do any of that. _

_In fact, he stayed calm, laughing at me as the dream faded into darkness, as if he had already won the battle we were now waged in. _

* * *

><p>When I woke up for real, there were tears in my eyes, and my hands were shaking again, the elderly woman's face staring at me as I blinked. She didn't say anything for a moment as her one good eye connected with my gaze (the other eye covered over with a patch of some sort), looking as if she felt sorry for me.<p>

And I didn't blame her - because I felt sorry for me, too. I wasn't normally one for self pity, but what I'd just been through had shaken me so bad that it had actually brought tears to my eyes…

Not that the evil man was that scary_ looking_, because he wasn't. It was the darkness that had seemed to gather around him that had scared me, the way he'd laughed as if he had no heart at all, that he was simply a big, black void full of nothing.

The elderly woman sighed as she picked up a bowl from her side and dipped a cloth in it, wringing it out before placing it on my forehead. I looked up at her with confusion in my mind, not really sure why she was helping me. For all she knew, I could have been her enemy.

"Ye are alright now, child. Please, take the time to rest," she said as she set the bowl back down next to her, turning back to look at me. I furrowed my eyebrows at her old-fashioned speech, but she didn't comment on it. "I am sure that ye have many questions, but they will have to wait for the morning," I saw her head turn as she looked out a window to her right, and I swiveled my head along with her, following her gaze.

The window was small and covered over with a tarp-like covering, but I could still tell that it was night.

"I-I _can't_ wait until morning!" the words flew out of my mouth, and the elderly woman turned to look at me, shock in her good eye. I knew that I was causing her problems, because she probably wanted to sleep as well, but I was so shaken by everything that had happened to me and was still happening to me that I'd finally reached my breaking point. "I need to know what's going on-NOW!" the last word was louder than I'd intended it to be, and the woman sighed again as I suddenly sat up, feeling all of the blood rush down, the cold cloth falling to the ground.

The elderly woman and I held a staring contest for a few moments as my body shook violently - from anger, from pain, from shock, from adrenaline. My fists tightened so tight that I started to feel blood escape my veins as I kept my eyes glued to the elderly woman, who wore the same traditional dress as the people in my dream had. I worked to piece the puzzle of where I was and what was going to happen to me together in my mind as the elderly woman's glare grew weaker, and she trickled towards giving in and telling me what I wanted to know.

And that's when I felt it: my neck began to ache as something bit into it, and broke contact with the elderly woman, smacking my hand against my neck to kill whatever bug had decided that they wanted an early breakfast.

However, when I pulled away my hand, it wasn't a bug that was attached lying in it, but something else. Something that was dressed almost like a person, squished from my slap at first, but quickly puffing back to life.

"Ah, so it _is_ you, Luna-sama," the creature said as it stood on the palm of my hand, looking happy to see me. "When I saw that flash of light cross the sky, I was sure you must have arrived, and-"

The strange, small creature didn't get to finish its sentence, because I hurled it across the room as I screamed.

"What is that thing?" I cried as I backed up, and the little creature landed on the floor by the elderly woman, who hardly looked fazed by my shout, sighing. I landed against the wall of the hut I was in and looked around again, realizing that the place looked much too old and primitive. "Where am I? Who are you?" I looked back at the elderly woman again then, and her calm gaze sobered me, and I sucked in a giant breath, trying to calm myself down.

I had no idea what was going on, and the dream I'd woken from had shaken me, but still…I didn't want to lose my head. Until I was able to find Kagome, I was the only one in this weird world or time or whatever it was looking out for me, and I had to be able to take care of myself. I didn't want to give the elderly woman any reason to throw me in the local loony bin - or hut, or whatever they had.

"I understand your confusion, Luna-sama," the little creature, which I now assumed was a flea or some other sort of biting bug, crossed its arms as it looked up at me. And though the sight of it still freaked me out, I made myself look down at it, made myself stay calm. "It is only natural to be alarmed, but we will not harm you," he glanced at the elderly woman sitting next to him, who was still looking at me. "Kaede-san, how long has she been with you exactly?"

The woman, Kaede, looked down at the little flea, and I furrowed my eyebrows as I noticed the difference in the honorifics the flea-thing used for us - Kaede was older than me, and yet he was only using "-san" for her, and "-sama" for me, the latter of which was a higher-ranking honorific as far as I knew, probably close to the term "Lady", which would have made me "Lady Luna".

"The girl has been here only a few, short hours, Myoga-san," Kaede replied to the flea, using the creature's name. "We found her near the Bone Eater's well. She was being attacked by a _youkai_," a shiver traveled up my spine as she used the Japanese word for "demon", and I was suddenly reminded of my time in the well, which had by no doubt been more terrifying than my short time with the praying mantis.

I'd been attacked by the giant snake with a wolf's head. And the figure that had been shrouded in the glowing golden light had told me that I would continue to be attacked, that the demons would surround me…

And it seemed that he was right already. I'd been attacked by the praying mantis demon, and the evil man in my dream - though the evil man hadn't _looked_ like a demon.

Could it be possible that some demons didn't look like monsters, but humans, and that both the evil man and the figure shrouded in the light had been demons as well?

My head started to hurt as I thought about this, pounding to the point where I was sure I was going to be sick. I had too many questions, and no answers, so I decided to set my thinking aside for now, and see what Kaede and Myoga had to say, since Kaede had helped save me, and Myoga seemed to know at least something about what was going on, since he'd known I was coming, and he knew my name, though I'd never met him before…

Myoga crossed his arms and sighed, sitting down on the floor closer to Kaede. "If Luna-sama has already been sought out, then it's exactly as I feared it would be," he said gravely, before he looked up at me again. "When you arrived, a bright light pierced the sky. That was you, wasn't it?" he asked, looking both intent and troubled.

I thought back to when I'd first woken up, when I'd been lying at the bottom of the well, rain splattering my face, what seemed like a million years ago now. I remembered it all too well: my arm had been throbbing, and a white light had erupted from the spot where the black, tattoo-like mark now was.

"Yes," I nodded, and Myoga's face grew pale, even more worried. I tried to keep myself from panic as I showed him my arm, and the mark that was on it. Kaede must have seen the mark already, because she didn't look as surprised by it, though Myoga's eyes widened to an incredible length. "When I woke up, my arm was burning. But it stopped when the light appeared. It came from this," I looked down at my arm along with them, examining it better this time.

On my forearm was a black crescent moon shape, a vine-line design curling around the bottom half of it, what looked almost like cheery-blossom petals surrounding its top half. The moon was darker than the design, easily the most noticeable thing about the mark, and my heart sank when I looked at it.

It was too creepy. All of it.

"It is a moon," Kaede observed as she looked at the mark, before her eyes met mine, darkening. "It is said that the mark of the Irazumi reflects the Irazumi that bears it. I wonder why this design chose ye…"

Myoga looked as though he was about to say something, but I spoke before he could, my throat feeling dry again. "It's my name," I said solemnly, feeling as though bile was rising in my throat. "Luna was the Roman moon goddess, though she was also known by other names. And her symbol was the crescent moon, so my name literally means 'moon'."

It was a creepy coincidence, though I knew that it was nothing but the coincidence. There was no way that my name and my situation could be linked, though my name and my tattoo-like mark were obviously linked, somehow part of each other.

The room sat in silence for a moment as everyone absorbed my situation, thoughts about my name, my strange tattoo, and the attack that had been waged on me no doubt circling through their minds. And as we sat, my own mind drifted from my tattoo and name to the thing that was plaguing me the most:

The meaning of my new title, Irazumi.

The word "irazumi" meant "mark on the skin", or tattoo, which explained the mark that was on my arm now, which I assumed was a way of recognizing the Irazumi, but that didn't tell me anything about what the term meant to the demons…

When I'd been in the well, traveling between the Higurashi's shrine and wherever I was now, the figure in the glowing light had explained my title and what it meant briefly, but not enough for me to really understand. And it bothered me. Though my life seemed to have been torn from me, I felt that I still had the right to know what was being done with it.

I steadied my shaking hands as my eyes settled on Myoga, who looked back at me as if he already knew what I was going to ask.

"Myoga-san," I said with as strong of a voice as I could manage. "Please, will you tell me about the Irazumi?" I added a bow as an afterthought, wanting to be as respectful as I could.

Myoga seemed a little harried at the question, but he nodded anyway, asking me to please not bow. "Yes, I can see where you would be curious about that. The history of the Irazumi is long and fast, but I'll give you the short version of it," the little flea stood then, clearing his throat, looking up at me solemnly.

I kept my hands clasped in my lap as he began, not wanting to show off the fear that I felt, the sinking, hopeless feeling that was overtaking me.

Myoga began: "No one knows exactly where the Irazumi came from, but they have existed for many, many a century. The long and short of the matter is that they are all _ningen_," - which I knew meant 'human' - "cursed to bear powers that they themselves cannot use, powers that are sought out by the _youkai _who hunt them…"

Myoga's eyes turned almost sad then. "My previous master, the Inutaisho, made a pact with the Irazumi - he offered them protection from the lesser _youkai _if they would in turn give him the power he sought - _their_ power. You see, despite what most _youkai _may think, an Irazumi's power cannot be passed on unless it is given _freely_. As long as the Irazumi lives, if they wish to pass their power along to a _youkai_, they may do so, but only at a small rate. Half of the Irazumi's power stays with them, and half of it leaves. But once the Irazumi dies, if they wish, the full amount of their power is passed onto the _youkai _of their choosing, and will stay with that _youkai _for fifty years, after which it must be passed onto another _ningen_ - the next Irazumi."

My mouth felt dry as I tried to understand what he was saying.

"So," I summarized. "Your master made a pact with the Irazumi, and they agreed? They gave him power as long as he protected him, and when they died, after fifty years, it passed onto another human, and he offered them the pact again?"

It sounded complicated, and a little bit backwards, but Myoga nodded his agreement.

"Yes," he said, sounding relieved that I understood at least a little bit of what was happening to me. "My master was indeed one of the highest ranking _youkai_, but with the added power of the Irazumi, he managed to build what you might call a kingdom for himself. Many Irazumi stayed by his side over the years, and through that time not only did his power and kingdom grow, but also his fondness for _ningen_."

My eyebrows furrowed as I processed this newest piece of information. I didn't know much about demons, but from what little I did know, it seemed nearly impossible that there could be a demon that actually _liked _humans. Not that it seemed like a bad thing - because I didn't see how demons and humans were really all that different, aside from the fact that they _looked_ different, and that the demons were undoubtably stronger than the humans, and probably lived longer…

But aside from the fact that Myoga's Inutaisho had grown to like humans over a period of time, and the fact that I was the new Irazumi, I didn't see what anything Myoga was saying had to do with _me_.

"It's wonderful that the past Irazumi and the Inutaisho used to be friends," I said, feeling slightly angry now. "But where is he _now_? How did _I_ become the Irazumi? What-" I stopped myself before I could say the last bit, my hands shaking again though they were clasped in my lap.

What was going to _happen_ to me?

Myoga had said that his _previous _master was the one who had protected the Irazumi. Did that mean that the Inutaisho wasn't around anymore, and that I was for all reasons and purposes royally screwed?

Myoga closed his eyes as he sighed. "I cannot answer your question of how you became Irazumi, as it is not my place. However, sadly, my previous master is gone now," he said, confirming my worst fears - that I was alone in this cruel twist of fate, and that I was probably going to be eaten by some hideous demon that didn't know the true use of the Irazumi's powers.

I clutched a hand to my face as I felt sick, and Kaede looked worried. "Is there nothing we can do to help Luna-sama now?" Kaede asked as she turned to look at Myoga, her face composed despite what was going on. "The Inutaisho was not an unintelligent _youkai_, he must have had a answer."

Myoga brightened as he nodded. "Yes, the Inutaisho did certainly have an answer," he said, and then looked back at me. "Through years of protecting the Irazumi, my master developed a sort of bond with them. It became his prideful duty to protect the Irazumi, what most _youkai _consider to be the highest class of _ningen_. And in order to ensure that the Irazumi would remain protected after he was gone, he left items that would seek out the next Irazumi when they arrived."

I had no idea what he was talking about, but Kaede obviously did. Her good eye grew large as she looked down at Myoga. "Inuyasha's sword shall lead him to Luna-sama?" she said, looking to Myoga for confirmation.

I felt confusion wash over me again when they mentioned this person - Inuyasha. I had no idea who they were, but their name…it sounded almost familiar.

The little flea nodded at Kaede. "Yes," he said, nodding. "The Tetsusaiga will be drawn to the newest Irazumi, thus leading Inuyasha-sama to Luna-sama," he looked over at the covered doorway then, as if sensing something. "He is probably already on his way, in fact. The Tetsusaiga will be unrelenting in its quest to find the Irazumi. He should most likely here arrive by morning."

My hands began to shake again as everything sunk in, my mind buzzing with Myoga's mention of the Tetsusaiga, among other things. I wasn't sure whether or not Myoga knew that I was familiar with the sword, but I decided not to bring it up. I could tell that he was hiding something from me, and that bothered me.

I didn't like being lied to, especially since this was my life that was being toyed with.

I pulled my hands away from my face, feeling dizzy though I didn't feel bad enough to be sick anymore. "It's alright. Just forget about it - forget about everything," I said as I tried to stand, Kaede's good eye widening as I moved - or tried to move, anyway, because I was so dizzy I came crashing back down to the floor, sitting again. "Nobody has to come after me. Nobody has to protect me. I'll just go back through the well, back home to my country. I've never seen any _youkai. _No one should bother me there," I sighed as I leaned my head against the wall behind me, my hands shaking again as I brushed my auburn bangs from my face.

I wasn't cut out to be an Irazumi. I knew that. I wasn't sickly or confined to a bed, and I was able to move around just fine, but I certainly wasn't a fighter. I wouldn't survive if I was forced to be around demons - even if someone _were_ protecting me.

I had to go back through the well. I was sure that it would lead me to the Higurashi's shrine, and once I got there, I would simply explain the situation. I would tell Kagome's family that she had fallen into the well and that they needed to send someone in after her, to bring her home. I would tell them that somehow, the well seemed to transport you to a different time (back in the past, if my reckoning was correct, as crazy as it seemed). And then I would tell them that I needed to go back home, where no demons would be able to find me.

I obviously couldn't stop being the Irazumi, but I was only human, so I would only live so long. And once I was dead, in fifty years there would be a new Irazumi, and_ they _could go through the well and be hunted by demons and protected by the Tetsusaiga and its owner.

This wasn't me. I didn't want any part in it. I didn't want to have anything to do with it.

I only wanted it to stop so I could go home. I didn't care about anything else.

When I blinked, Myoga was standing on my knee, looking straight at me. And I could tell that there was something bothering him, his eyebrows furrowed in the worst of ways. And, seeing his face, I felt my heart sink to the bottom of my chest, my whole body starting to shake again.

This was awful. I just couldn't take it.

What horrible news was he going to tell me now? I could tell that there was something, sitting on the tip of his tongue, so horrible than he was wondering if he should even say it.

"Luna-sama," Myoga's voice was small when he spoke, full of regret. "I'm afraid, now that you're here, that you won't be _able_ to leave. As long as you are the Irazumi - and that title will follow you until your death - you must remain here. It is part of the curse, and I'm afraid that there is no way to reverse it."

The words hit me like a nail hitting a board, and I stiffened. My heart broke in two as the horrible truth - the truth that I had been fearing ever since I'd pulled myself out of the well and into the past - sunk in.

I wanted to leave, but there was no way out. I would never see home again. I was trapped here, in this world full of demons.

My life had officially ceased to be mine.

"Luna-sama-" Kaede started to speak, but I cut her off, turning to look at her blankly.

"I'm sorry, Kaede-san," I said as I looked at her, feeling numb, my voice sounding cold and robotic, as if it had been programmed. "I'm feeling tired now. Is there any place I can sleep? I have more questions, but can continue this conversation in the morning?"

Kaede looked surprised by my question, but she nodded anyway, standing up immediately. "Ye may sleep here, Luna-sama. Myoga-san and I will keep watch outside, and we will greet ye in the morning, when Inuyasha arrives."

Myoga hopped off of my knee then, bid me goodnight with a weight in his gaze, and exited the little hut. Kaede pulled out a tatami mat for me to sleep on, along with some covers, and bid me goodnight as well as she bowed, exiting a few minutes after Myoga, leaving me all alone with my thoughts…

I stared at the mat for what seemed like a long time, before I finally crawled my way over to it and lay down, pulling the cover over me. It was nothing like my bed back home, or even at the Higurashi's, but being wrapped in a blanket comforted me a little bit, and as my body relaxed from being stiff, I began to shake violently again, shivering.

The truth that I had learned about the Irazumi - what I now was, unshakably - was horrible, and I knew that Myoga was hiding things from me, and not just about how I had become Irazumi (which was no doubt linked to how he knew my name). There were a few things he'd mentioned that bothered me, but it was the mention of the Tetsusaiga that bothered me the most.

He'd said that the Inutaisho (who I now was beginning to think was the figure I had seen in the well, surrounded by the golden light, probably a ghost considering that the demon was dead) had made it so that the sword would lead Inuyasha to me - who I could only assume was one of his sons, who hopefully liked humans, too, and who Myoga seemed to trust…but Myoga had failed to mention the other sword that I'd seen in the well and my dreams, the Tenseiga. Would that sword lead to me as well, and would the Inutaisho's _other_ son - the one with the cold, hard eyes - come after me?

Why had Myoga only mentioned Inuyasha? Was there something wrong with the other son? Were his unfeeling eyes a reflection of his personality? And if he knew about the Irazumi, then what would he see me as? Would I be a asset and friend…or _property_?

I didn't know anymore, because I couldn't think. Everything in me felt overloaded and broken, and all I found myself wanting to do was lay there, trying to forget the faces of the people that I would never see again. Because though I wished things were different, everything I'd ever known was now gone - my friends, my family, my home. I could never return to what I had been…

The night was pierced by a splintering howl as I curled into a ball, crying for the life that had been stolen from me.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello, everyone! Thank you for reading the newest chapter of Full Moon. This has been the longest chapter so far, and possibly my favorite (I think I may say that for every chapter). I really hope you enjoyed it! <strong>

**I haven't mentioned this yet in the story (which I find shocking!), but I don't own Inuyasha. I really wish I did, but it's owned by Rumiko Takahashi, not me. **

**In this chapter, there are a lot of honorifics. I tried to use everything properly, but since I've only watched Inuyasha in Japanese a few times, I don't remember how exactly everyone is addressed. So, if there are any honorifics that are wrong, please tell me so that I can correct them... **

**This chapter is decidated to my wonderful reviewers! Thank you: _Crystal Wolf Guardian 967, KuramaMustangElric, .., Heve-chan, and ImmolationPiggieOfDoom._**

**I'm working on the next chapter now. Please stayed tuned, and keep reading!**


	7. Chapter 6: Belief and Betrayal

**Full Moon**

_Belief and Betrayal_

I don't know how long I stayed curled up on the tatami mat that night, crying my eyes out, trying to find a reason to continue living. I didn't know how I managed to not get up, go outside, and find a river to drown myself in, solving all of my problems in an instant. I also don't know how the night could have taken so long to pass, how time could have slowed down so much that it barely beat a few seconds per minute.

But, I _did_ survive the night. And, eventually, I _did_ stop crying, wiping the tear stains from my face. It was still dark when this happened, though I imagined light wasn't far off, and once I'd finished having my pity party, I stared at the floor, my mind racing.

I knew I had to do something, knew I couldn't just lay here and wallow in my pity. I didn't think anyone would blame me for it - after all, my life had just been ripped from me, torn away in perhaps the most cruel way possible - but even if they didn't blame me, their kindness wouldn't stop what was to come.

I was going to be hunted. It was inevitable. The monsters would come at me quick, striking first and thinking later. There would be no escape.

I was a goner.

I was prey.

I was the Irazumi.

This was my life now, no matter how much I wished differently.

My heart sank into the deep crevices of my chest as I thought this, sighing, wanting to cry more at the cruelness of it all, though I'd shed so many tears I didn't think I'd ever be able to cry again.

I was stuck in this strange world, wherever and whenever it was, and I was going to be hunted by demons, and one of them would eventually catch me. I couldn't go back home - could never see my family again...my mom's smiling face, my brother's quirky smile; I would never hear my dad laugh another time.

I was doomed, reduced to demon chow, and if not that…

My heart wrenched in an almost painful way as I remembered back to what Myoga had said, remembered the two sons (only one of which he'd mentioned) that would also be looking for me.

Would I have a better chance if I ended up with one of them? It was their duty to protect me, since their father had been the protector of almost all of the past Irazumis, but would they take on that duty, or would they ignore it?

Myoga had seemed absolutely certain that the son named Inuyasha would come, would probably be by my side in the morning, but...what if he was _wrong_? And what about the _other_ son? As I closed my eyes and remembered the image I'd seen of him - tall and regal, unfeeling, with eyes as cold as the arctic, though as golden as the sun - I highly doubted it. He looked more likely to kill me than protect me.

My heart wrenched inside of my chest again as my feelings of despair increased. It seemed I was doomed either way - whether the rogue demons attacked me or I was killed by the son with the feral countenance. My only flicker of hope left seemed to be Myoga's Inuyasha, though I had no idea what he was like, whether or not he would care to take on the responsibility of protecting me, or would be strong enough to fend the other demons off.

My mind took to pondering then, as I shifted on my tatami mat, wanting to keep my thoughts as busy as I could so that they couldn't shift back to my family, back to what I had lost. I thought of what Myoga had told me about the Inutaisho, thought of what I knew of him from when his ghost (or whatever it was that had been) that had saved me back in the well.

I was sure that it had been him now. After all, who else could have possibly appeared and saved me, told me of my fate, shown me the images of the two sword and the two sons?

He had seemed...nice enough, though in a strange way. But was Inuyasha anything like him? What would he say, how would he react? Was he really bound to protect me, as Myoga had suggested, or was it an option for him? I wasn't sure exactly how the Irazumi thing worked, but I knew that his father had gained power by protecting the Irazumi who had come before me.

My lids finally began to feel heavy though my thoughts began to increase, the weight of what I was feeling weighing heavily into me, the loneliness tugging at my chest again. I had to push more thoughts of my family aside as I focused on Inuyasha, what he may have been like, picturing the brief flash I'd seen of him and trying to dissect it bit by bit, envisioning him as a real person, someone I could reach out and touch.

The vision came slowly at first, and all I could really imagine was a big glob of bright red, which seemed to be the color he liked to wear. But then, I thought about the Tetsusaiga, which my mind could easily picture, and then the vision of him cleared, and I suddenly felt as though I was looking right at him, the real thing. And that's when I noticed something…

He had _ears_. Strange ears, not like a human.

My mind, seeking for another thing to keep me away from my misery, I focused hard on the ears, trying to figure out what they reminded me of. This Inuyasha, he seemed...strange...and…

That's when my mind put the pieces together.

_Inu_yasha._ Inu_taisho. There sure was a lot of "_inu_" going around lately.

Tiredness closing in and despair threatening, I had to wrack my brain hard to remember what it was exactly that "inu" meant. I shivered as I pulled the blanket closer around me, curling into even more of a ball on the tatami, before suddenly, the meaning popped into my head.

_Inu_.

_Dog_.

Inu meant dog.

A frown played on my lips as the answer to my question came, and the motion hurt, since not long ago, I'd been crying and sobbing. I wrestled with my despair for a moment before I conquered it again, thinking of Inuyasha's ears - his _dog_ ears.

Inuyasha must have been a dog demon - I remembered (vaguely) from my studies on Japanese culture that there were supposedly a slew of demon types, a good variety of which were animals. But why did my supposed savior have to be a _dog_ demon? I'd always been terrified of dogs…

Though my brother hadn't. He'd always wanted one when we were little, but every time we'd gone to get one I'd cried, run, darted away, sobbed, and even passed out a few times from fear, and so we'd never -

The despair came back in an instant, bone-crushing, as I gasped, the tears I'd thought would never come again returning, stinging in my eyes. A flood of memories came back along with faces - my mother, my brother, my dad. My _family_. They were all laughing and happy, all spending time together, all sharing in each others accomplishments and failures. And then there I was, standing beside them, running towards them, but never able to grasp them in my hands.

They were _gone_. I was gone, and I would never be able to see them again…

_Or__ so __I__ had __been __told_.

My jaw clenched as a strange, gutteral growl escaped my lips, anger boiling along with the pain. My fists tightened as my whole body became rigid, tears still streaking down my face.

How did I know that I wouldn't be able to get home? How did I know that Myoga hadn't lied to me - that he was telling the truth about _anything_? A look at my arm reminded me of the tattoo-like mark I had, of what had happened in the well, the light that had shot forth from my arm, but still it didn't convince me.

After all, I believed Kaede, the old...was she a _priestess_(she had to have been, wearing what she wore; a _miko_, if you wanted to use the Japanese term)? She hadn't seemed like she was lying to me, and from the look on her face, I could tell that she had felt pity towards me, had wanted to help. But Myoga had left things out in his explanation. He had mentioned the Irazumi and the Inutaisho and even Inuyasha, but he hadn't said anything about the other son, for whom I had no name, or about the Tenseiga, his sword. Who was to say that he hadn't left other things out as well, hadn't lied to me about being able to return home?

If this Inuyasha was his new master, then of course he would want me to stay. If I did, then eventually, if I wanted, I could make Inuyasha stronger. I suddenly felt like a fool for not realizing it sooner, for not knowing that I was being duped.

Maybe...

Of course, I had no way of knowing whether or not he was telling the truth. For all I knew, he could have been telling the truth, could have been keeping the other son a "secret" (since he didn't know what had happened in the well, or know that I knew about the swords) for some other reason, but…

But the part of me that loved my family couldn't accept this notion, that I'd never, _ever_see them again. It was just too cruel, whether it was the truth or not, and I didn't want to put any weight to it, because I wanted to go home.

I wanted to see my family again.

And so, I made a pact, fists clenching - that no matter what I had to do or what I had to say, I would find my way back home again.

And _nothing_ - not Myoga, not the Inutaisho, not Inuyasha or his brother - would stand in my way.

* * *

><p><em>When<em>_ my __eyes __opened, __I__ was __bound, __my__ hands __tied __behind __my __back __and __my __ankles __aching, __my __knees __hurting __beneath __me __because __I __was __kneeling, __as __was __the __Japanese __traditional, __not __at __all __used__ to __it. __For__ an __instant __I __wondered __where __I__ was, __how__ I__ could__ be __in __pain __if __this __was __nothing __but __a __dream,__ but __a__ shift __in __the __shadows __took __my __thoughts __away __as __alarm__ raced __through __me, __and __I__ looked __up._

_I was in some sort of building - big, from the looks of it, with an out-cut window in front of me, overlooking a mountain. The floor beneath me was wooden, polished and clean, and the ceiling high above me was made of the same wood, though it was a darker color. I vaguely noticed that I was wearing something different - a kimono, pink and cream colored - before the figure that had been lurking in the shadows materialized completely, sitting across from me on a deep, red cushion. _

_I recognized him immediately, my heart pounding in my chest at the sight of him. He looked strangely different than he had before, more of a man and less of a monster, though his crimson eyes still held the same burning hate. _

_I tried to open my mouth, about to demand he tell me where I was and what he wanted with me, not caring about the consequences at the moment, but then I realized that my mouth refused to move, to open, and panic began to set in. _

_For his part, the man laughed, a cruel smile curving along his lips. "Do not be alarmed, Irazumi-san," he said in a mock-comforting tone, and I glared at him, wishing my hands were free so I could try and claw open my mouth, or even strangle him. "I simply wanted you to hear what it is that I have to say." _

_My shoulders hunched as my glare increased, my hands moving furiously, trying to break out of their binds, though I found it useless. I didn't want to hear anything this man - monster - had to say, remembering the last time I had seen him, in the dream with the little boy, where he had suddenly appeared and threatened me, but I didn't seem to have any choice. _

_It was like I was gagged, though there was no gag over my mouth. My lips were simply sealed shut. _

_The monster man seemed to relax a bit as I quit trying to free my hands, instead keeping still, tilting my head and silently asking him to say his piece. "My name is Naraku," he finally said, introducing himself, and despite myself, I shivered at the name and its sound. "And you are Luna-san, the Irazumi. Welcome to our time, what I believe you might call the Feudal Era." _

_My heart nearly stopped when he said this, and I lurched forward a bit, shock causing me to twitch. I already knew that he knew my name, but the fact that he knew I wasn't from this...time...bothered me as much as the fact that he knew what era I was in, knew what history would call this. _

_My heart also stopped because of the news of where I was - in the Feudal Era, the era of war and pain, and obviously demons - though it also made sense. Things were definitely old-fashioned here, and it would explain the weapons they used, and the homes they lived in. _

"_I bet you are wondering how it is that I know this," Naraku's cruel smile lengthened a little then, though it was still small, sly, unworried. "Unfortunately, that is not what I called you here for. You see, Irazumi-san, I have a proposition for you...a little...bargain, which requires nothing on your part, accept that you say yes." _

_My heart fluttered instead of stopped when I heard this, my mouth still glued shut, my mind trying to sort through the signals that Naraku was giving off. _

_He didn't look like he was trustworthy, and he had attacked me before, saying that he was after me...and yet...now he wanted to bargain, wanted nothing in return for what he was willing to give me? _

_It just didn't make sense. He had to have been trying to con me into something, though I had no idea what. _

_Naraku must have sensed my disbelief, because he chuckled again. "I see you thinking, Luna-san," he said, and I cringed as he uttered my name. "I assume you are wondering if I am trying to trick you or not. I can assure you that the answer is no," his smile turned an inch reassuring then, though it didn't reassure me at all. "My quest is simple: I gain power by absorbing others into my body," the revelation made me want to gag, but I didn't say anything, didn't give myself away. "When I first met you, as I'm sure you will remember, I though that with you I could do the same…" his eyes darkened just a smidge then, a small frown showing on his face. "But I have discovered that is not the case, and so I wish to aid you in your quest to return home," his gaze bored into me as he abruptly finished talking, and I did my best to digest what he'd just said. _

_It didn't make any sense, but then again...it sort of did. I had met this Naraku character in one of my dreams, which I knew by now were somehow connected to my reality, and he had tried to attack me - and for good reason, too, since if he really did absorb others as he said he did, from absorbing me he could have gained a huge amount of power...if that was how the Irazumi's curse worked. _

_But it wasn't. I had already been told that. As the Irazumi, I had no power to give away my power until death, and that was only if I wanted to give it away, not if I was forced. Absorbing me would do Naraku no good, and having me in his time, where the Inutaisho's sons could find me and continue on the bargain that their dad had forged wouldn't help him, either - because eventually, if I were to stay in the Feudal Era, I was going to die, and if I wanted, my powers as Irazumi would be passed onto one of them...making them stronger than Naraku. _

_But, if that were the case...why didn't Naraku just kidnap me and try and force me into death, into giving him my powers willingly? Was that just too time consuming for him? And why had he attacked me in a dream, and how did he even know how to do that? Had he been hoping to force me into some sort of coma, so that he could come and find me in real life? _

_Looking up, into Naraku's ugly, burning gaze, I had no answers for any of these questions. But then again, I really didn't want to ask him, either, because if I did, then it would show him just how clueless I really was. I didn't know if he were still a threat, or if he was telling the truth, but I didn't want to give any small amount of power I had over my fate away. _

_Enough control over my life had been given away as it was. _

"_You would return me to my time, to my home?" I asked after a moment, composing myself so that my voice didn't shake as much as my insides were shaking, showing off my fear of this strange man. "And you want nothing in return? How am I supposed to believe that?" _

_Naraku shifted his weight before he did exactly what I had expected him to do - he laughed. I felt irritation bubble in my veins as I stared at his laughing self, but the laugh lasted only a moment, and then he returned his serious gaze to me, smiling a bit. _

"_My dear Luna, I assure you that I tell the truth about this matter," he said in a smooth voice, and my insides curled, because he reminded of a snake, something not to be trusted. "I'm sure that you have already ascertained that your continued presence here would be a hinderance for me. Why should I not return you to your own time, so that both of us can be at peace?" he watched me as he spoke, trying to judge my reaction, and though I did my best to keep myself composed, I wasn't able to hide my uncertainty. _

_I didn't understand what it was that he was getting at. I knew that he was right in the sense that my staying in the Feudal Era could be harmful to him, but at the same time, I wasn't sure why he was bothering to help me. He didn't seem like the nice, trustworthy type...but then again, if he was offering to return me to my home, then how could I refuse? _

_I had to make it back home, and it didn't seem like anyone else would help me get there, so what if I had to make a contract with the devil? Myoga had said that there wasn't a way home, but he had also excluded other information from me, so I didn't feel as though he were telling the truth. And this Inuyasha character, he was with Myoga - and even if he did decide to try and help me, what if he failed? _

_Naraku's offer would be my backup plan. If I couldn't find another way home, then I would turn to him, and if I did find another way home, then the offer would be void anyway, because I would no longer be in Feudal Japan. I didn't trust Naraku as far as I could throw him, and in a way, I felt like I was betraying Inuyasha, though I didn't know him - but I also didn't see what choice I had. It wasn't like Naraku was going to kill me, and as long as I was alive, I would eventually be able to make it home. _

_After making my decision, I nodded my head in acceptance, since I couldn't speak through my invisible gag. I watched as Naraku's dark eyes lit up, making my heart sink. I wanted to get home, but I also felt like there was something I was missing, something that I should have been noticing. The crushing feeling of betrayal weighed even heavier on me as I watched him. _

"_I look forward to seeing you in person, Luna-san," I drew in a heavy breath as the world around me started to dissipate at the edges, signaling that I was about to wake up, end my dream. Though the ends of my vision started to sway, Naraku stayed clear, eyes never leaving my face. "Do not worry about seeking me out. In a few days, I will find you," the end of his sentence lingered as my vision swirled, and I hoped, the feeling of betrayal still biting at me, that I hadn't just made a grave mistake. _

* * *

><p>The arrival of the next day came swiftly as my eyelids fluttered open, and I groaned, seeing sunlight travel in through the cracks in the hut, reminding me of where I was. I simply lay there for a few moments, hearing hushed voices coming from outside the hut's entrance, before I finally made myself sit up, knowing that pity would do nothing for me.<p>

Yes, I felt broken and tattered inside, and I had just made a bargain with a man who I knew was evil, possibly a demon, but it didn't really matter, because I still had a promise to keep - a promise to myself, a promise to make it back home to my family, and I had already decided that I would do whatever it took to make my promise a reality...no matter how much it hurt, or who I trampled on.

I stood to my feet shakily as I looked around the small, cramped hut, feeling my heart sink again to the bottom of my chest. Thankfully, my family was overly zealous about camping, so I was used to surviving in the outdoors, living in tents, roasting things over fires, but it would still be hard to adjust to living in the Fuedal Era, where I wouldn't find so much as a cell phone, especially if I never...made it back home again.

I shut my eyes closed tight when I thought this, forcing images of my family's tear-stained faces from my mind as I pictured what would happen if I never _did_ return. I knew that in reality, it was probably a long shot that I would find a way home, that Naraku would be able to help me, but I couldn't start doubting myself now.

I _had_ to make it home. I _had_ to be strong - stronger than any Irazumi had ever been before, stronger than the demons and the challenges I would face, stronger than the Inutaisho or his sons.

I felt a steely calm settle over me as I breathed in a fresh breath, putting an invisible sort of mask over my face. There wasn't a wash bin anywhere in sight, so I had no idea how awful my face looked (though my makeup was probably smudged, my eyeliner probably running down my face), but I could at least put on a show and make others think that I hadn't turned catatonic. Myoga had said that Inuyasha would probably arrive in the morning, and morning had come, and I definitely didn't want my supposed protector's first image of me to be that of a crying, homesick girl.

But as I stepped forward to exit the hut, I heard voices echo outside, and I stopped, listening, curiosity and self-preservation taking over me.

"Tell me, Myoga-san, do you think Inuyasha will be the only one to seek out Luna-sama?" I stiffened when I heard Kaede's voice, every fiber of my being listening intently, begging Myoga to answer, begging my muscles not to move.

Of course. The two of them were sitting outside of the hut, guarding it for me. Kaede had said she would do so the night previous, before I'd fallen asleep, before I'd gained my steely resolve. I wondered then if they had heard me crying, wailing, missing my family. I also wondered why they hadn't realized I was awake yet - maybe along with my steeliness, I'd also adopted stealth?

But, the burning question in my mind was this: would Myoga answer Kaede truthfully? The old priestess (because now, I was sure that's what she was) didn't seem to be stupid, and must have figured him out, figured out that he wasn't telling us (me) everything. It seemed that she knew Inuyasha too, so maybe she knew about his brother as well.

"Whatever do you mean?" Myoga answered nervously, and in that moment I wanted to strangle him, frustration taking over. I stayed in place, however, fighting to keep my breathing normal, not wanting to give off any indication that I was awake, moving, listening. A moment later, Myoga sighed, finally giving in, and I wondered if Kaede had glared at him with her one good eye. "No, I do not think Inuyasha-sama will be the only one to seek out Luna-sama. In fact, I _know_ he won't be. Aside from the other nefarious _youkai_ who will no doubt seek to make Luna-sama their prey, there is also…" blood pumped quickly in my ears as I willed him to say the name, to give the image of the other son that had been plaguing my mind a title.

In the end, it was Kaede who said it, and her words left me speechless, my mind reeling.

"You mean to say Sesshoumaru-sama, do you not?" the old priestess asked, and I nearly felt my legs give out, shock overcoming me.

At first, I thought I had heard her wrong - or, at least, _hoped_ I had heard her wrong. But as silence reigned, Myoga giving nothing away, I knew that I hadn't heard wrong at all. I had heard right, and the idea left me reeling, an all-too familiar shiver trickling down my spine.

Sesshoumaru. Whenever I heard that name, I felt a sort of nauseous fear overcome me, though I didn't know why. I had never met anyone by that name, but, if I remembered and pictured the cold-eyed son I had seen, wielding the Tenseiga, then the name made perfect sense. Because, even though I couldn't translate the name completely, I knew it had to do something with death.

What an awful thing to name a child.

I felt confusion fill me then as I thought of the name, of where _else_ I had heard it. One time, when I'd been talking with Rin, she had mentioned a Sesshoumaru. But, were her Sesshoumaru and mine the same, or were they different? Rin was so cute and sweet, somehow I couldn't picture her being anywhere near someone who sounded so dangerous.

I shook my head as more words traveled to me from outside, trying to dislodge these thoughts. There was a good chance that Rin was real since I had seen her in my dreams, but I would probably never meet her in real life, despite what she had said. And, on the contrary, there was probably very little chance that Rin knew the Sesshoumaru that Kaede was talking about. Fate simply wasn't that cruel - or at least it hadn't been to me, until it had deal me the Irazumi card.

My heart clenched as I thought about how fate had screwed with my life in the past few days, and I shook my head again, ears training on the conversation going on outside once again.

"Yes, Kaede-san," Myoga finally relented, telling the truth for once. "I was referring to Inuyasha-sama's older brother. As I mentioned before, the Tetsusaiga will be drawn to the Irazumi unrelentingly, and will thus lead Inuyasha-sama here, to Luna-sama. My old master saw to it that the sword was equipped with this feature so that if anything were to happen to him, his bargain with the Irazumi would live on," I wrapped my head around the information as I tried to get my heart to slow, tried to get myself to calm down. "The Tenseiga will do the same, begging its master to find the Irazumi, thus leading Sesshoumaru-sama here as well...and though Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't care for _ningen_ on the best of days, I have no doubt that he will follow the Tenseiga. He, unlike Inuyasha-sama, knows of the dealings his father had with the Irazumi in the past. And he is a prideful _youkai_, and surely would want to carry out his father's duty, whether he agrees with it or not…" Myoga sighed, and inside of the hut, I felt illness wash over me. "I can only hope that Inuyasha-sama is closer, for Luna-sama's sake…" the flea demon trailed off then, and Kaede sighed heavily, and I felt like I had just be dealt my fate.

Either way, I would meet both of the Inutaisho's sons, and either way, I couldn't stop being the Irazumi. I _knew_ that, deep down. I had known it from the beginning - or _close_ to it. But I hadn't expected things to happen so quickly.

I hadn't expected to meet both of them nearly at once.

I took in a deep, heavy breath as I stilled my shaking legs and set my jaw, determined to go outside now, since Myoga and Kaede had fallen into a sort of silence. I knew I was afraid, especially now that I had heard that name, but I also knew that it didn't change anything, knew that I still had to be brave, even if it was only an act, so that I could make it back to my family.

I had to go home. I didn't belong here. I didn't know why I was here in the first place, how it was I had become the Irazumi.

For some reason, these thoughts led me to think of Kagome as I stepped forward, towards the entrance to the hut, and I gasped. Since I'd arrived in the Fuedal Era, I'd thought very little of her or of what had happened to her, other than the fact that if I could go back through the well, I could send her family after her, but now...I was sure that she'd been eaten, probably become snack for some hungry demon. I wondered if she had felt any pain, and my heart ached as I thought about the fact that she was most likely gone, since I'd liked Kagome. We hadn't spent much time together, but I had known her instantly, like we'd been best friends for a long time...like we had met before, numerous times.

Thoughts of Kagome dissolved from my mind as, out of nowhere, something hit me - a wave of some sort of energy, making my hair stand on end, everything in me screaming. But, my insides didn't scream to _run_, even though I felt panicked. Instead, they told me to _go__outside_, quickly, and, moving like a robot, I listened.

"Inuyasha-sama!"

I heard the cry just as I stepped out of the hut, pushing the flap that served as a door aside, seeing the stranger who wasn't a stranger standing not that far off, in front of the hut, wielding a pulsing Tetsusaiga. My eyes immediately went to him as the sword pointed directly at me, and then stopped pulsing, as if satisfied. I took in Inuyasha in all his strangeness - the sight of the dog ears atop his head made my body stiffen when I saw them, but after a few seconds, the feeling went away - before he looked up at me, golden eyes both wide and narrowed.

He didn't know what to think. And I didn't blame him, because I didn't know what to think, either.

"Inuyasha-sama!"

Something unidentifiable passed between us before Myoga leapt off of the hut's porch, making his way over to Inuyasha quickly. The little flea leapt up onto him and attacked itself to his neck before Inuyasha blinked, and, with an annoyed look flashing across his face, slapped the flea harshly. Myoga let out a little cry before he puffed back up to size, falling into Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga-less hand.

"Hey there Myoga, I was wonderin' where you'd run off to this time," Inuyasha said with that same annoyed look on his face, his eyes squinting as he looked away from me towards Myoga, who now faced him, looking up.

"Inuyasha-sama," Myoga said, and though I was on the porch, I could swear that I saw tears streaming from his eyes, as if he were hurt by the way that Inuyasha had slapped him, stopped him from drinking any blood. On the porch next to me, Kaede stood slowly, looking at Inuyasha but not saying anything, cracks issuing from her bones as they moved. "I was hoping you would arrive quickly - that is why I informed the Irazumi of you. And I see the Tetsusaiga has reacted," he said, glancing at the sword, which was in Inuyasha's other hand, looking strong and formidable and overly large.

Inuyasha blinked when Myoga mentioned the sword, and his eyes narrowed instantly. "What the hell is going on, Myoga?" he asked in a harsh tone, making the flea jump, as I glanced at the Tetsusaiga, which I would know anywhere now. "Tetsusaiga's been acting strange, and I take it you know all about it?" his mouth twitched into a frown as he looked from Myoga to me, his golden eyes intense.

I could hear my heart beat as I looked back at him, not sure if I should say anything or not. When he looked at me he looked wary, but at the same time...confused, as if he was trying to figure something out. And I shared in his confusion.

I just didn't understand.

"Inuyasha-sama, your Tetsusaiga was reacting to the Irazumi. Your father insured that the sword would do so, so that when the next Irazumi appeared, you would be able to find and protect them, thus continuing the pact your father had made," Myoga rambled on for a moment, but Inuyasha's eyes never left me. Finally, Myoga got the hint and turned in my direction. "This is the new Irazumi, Inuyasha-sama. She arrived here yesterday. Her name is -"

"Luna," both Myoga and Kaede seemed shocked when Inuyasha said my name, eyes still trained on me, but I wasn't shocked in the least bit, because I knew -

I _knew _him.

I didn't know how, but I _knew_ him. I had no distinct memories of him, and I couldn't quote things that he had said, but I knew his face, his stance, found it strange that he wasn't being his normal, grumpy self, though there was no way I could have ever seen that grumpy self before. It was strange, like my instant connection to Kagome - only intensified, _stronger_, like instead of staring at a best friend, I was instead looking at someone who was close enough to be my brother.

And, judging by the look in Inuyasha's eyes, he _knew_ me too. It must have been why he'd looked confused, wary, not sure of himself. But after he said my name, everything seemed to fall into place, and I offered him a small, fragile smile, feeling relief spread over me.

Though it made no sense, I was happy, because I _knew_ my protector, the person I had been worrying about. I knew that he was a good person, though a little rough around the edges, and that he would help me try and find a way home, would do anything he could to get me back. I also knew that now I wouldn't need Naraku, of which I was grateful for, and -

Something inside of me beat against this idea when I thought it, telling me no. And again I got the idea that I was missing something, something that should have been apparent, something that was going to affect everything from here on out, something that would change my life while I was Irazumi. And, it was -

"Inuyasha!" I froze when another voice broke through the air, and then, from the same way that Inuyasha had no doubt came from, a girl in a school uniform appeared - _Kagome_. "Inuyasha, why did you run off like - " the stopped mid sentence when she saw me, staring, her eyes going wide. "Luna-san?" she asked, and before I could stop myself, I started crying, rushing forward to envelop her in a hug.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, I found myself seated once again in Kaede's hut, though under much happier circumstances this time.<p>

Across from me sat Inuyasha, who I would find watching me every few minutes, a thoughtful look in his eyes, though when I made eye contact he would look away and pretend to grimace. I wanted to talk to him, to ask him questions, ask him if he knew how we knew each other, but I never got the chance. And though I wanted to ask, I also found that not asking was okay - because the feeling was there, somehow, that he would take care of me, and I knew that along our journey, I would be able to talk to him.

Next to me sat Kagome, who had an hour or so ago returned from her home to bring me some supplies - we had tried the well, and I hadn't been able to go back home through it, a blow that had nearly crushed me, that still ached in my chest. But, though I'd felt crushed, I'd also been happy to see her come back with my backpack, which I had stuffed into my suitcase before leaving home, a long-ago gift from my brother, though the pack had also made me sad…

And all the more determined to find my way home.

Upon Kagome's return (after I had cleaned myself up a bit, thanks to Kaede's offer of a woven rag and some water; I was so glad to have my makeup smudges gone, though I also felt naked without the makeup), Myoga had explained the situation to both Kagome and Inuyasha, who had been particularly interested, glancing down at his Tetsusaiga, sheathed and docile now that it wasn't trying to find me, when it was mentioned. I'd felt my insides squirm a bit as Myoga had again skipped over the bit about Sesshoumaru, who I couldn't help but think was drawing closer with my every breath. I especially squirmed when Myoga again mentioned the fact that I wouldn't be able to get back home - _ever_ - and the look that was to be found in Kagome's eyes when she promised me that she and Inuyasha would help me find my way back, even if we had to scour all of Feudal Japan.

"There _has_ to be some way," Kagome said now as he bit down on her lip, thinking, Inuyasha's canine eyes landing on her this time, distinctly serious. "Maybe the well just didn't want to accept you because you came out of it just yesterday - maybe for the Irazumi, it takes _time_. We can try again tomorrow, or the next day, and maybe then you can go home," her brown eyes sparkled as she looked at me, hope lighting them up, refusing to be negative. "We have to wait for the others, anyway, so it wouldn't be bad to stay."

At that, Inuyasha grimaced. "_Stay_?" he echoed, folding his red-clad arms in annoyance. "We can't stay here. It's way too dangerous. We have to meet back up with Miroku and Sango," his eyes flashed to me in that instant, and though he still looked annoyed, I could also see a hint of worry lurking deep in his eyes.

It was strange, knowing someone but not knowing them. Ever since I had had the revelation, remembering Inuyasha, I had been in awe of it. It was strange, worrying about someone you had never met; I found myself worrying what would happen to Inuyasha because of me, what demons he would have to face, what would happen to Kagome and his other friends.

They had already told me about their travels, about their companions (Sango, the demon slayer, and her partner, Kirara, Shippo, the cute little fox, and Miroku, the lecherous monk whom Kagome had told me to be careful of), who had been left behind in a village that was being attacked by a rogue demon fleet that they had promised to destroy - a job they could handle, with people they needed to help. They had decided to stay behind and them meet up with Inuyasha and Kagome a few days later in Kaede's village, but it seemed that we were going to be meeting up with _them_ instead.

Kagome had also told me about Naraku...about what an awful demon he was...about all of the lives that he had destroyed, and yet...I couldn't wish him away just yet. I didn't trust him, but I knew that, in this instance anyway, he was after _me_, not them. And though I liked Kagome and I knew Inuyasha like a brother, if they weren't able to help me find a way home quickly, I wasn't willing to sacrifice my family for either of them. It was selfish, and even cruel, but I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of my getting home.

Though I would do everything in my power to keep them out of Naraku's clutches. I didn't want to betray them so far as hand them over - I was an awful enough person for even considering keeping my pact with Naraku, and didn't want to make myself any worse.

"Inuyasha, perhaps it would be wise to stay here a few days and wait," it was Kaede's voice that broke through my thoughts, sounding thoughtful and wise. Inuyasha's gaze turned to her as he grimaced, obviously not liking the idea. "Myoga-san may be wrong, and perhaps Kagome-san is right. If ye can send Luna-sama back through the well, then there will be no need for her to endure the pain that comes with being the Irazumi."

To everyone's surprise (even mine), Inuyasha scoffed, grimacing even harder than before. "Are you all stupid?" he asked, tone condemning though his eyes were serious. "If we wait in this village any longer, then Luna won't stand a _chance_. I know I'm not the only one after her - if my sword could track her, then I bet Sesshoumaru's can, too. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna offer her up to him," his lips pulled together in a thin line as he looked directly at me, fire in his golden eyes, a promise that he wouldn't let his brother win.

But, despite the promise, I wasn't reassured. Fate seemed too cruel to make his words a reality.

And there was still that feeling - the feeling that I was missing something, which burned even brighter at the mention of Sesshoumaru.

Kagome's look sobered. "Inuyasha's right," she said as she stood, turning to look at me. In the background I saw Myoga glance at me as well, looking worried, his eyebrows furrowing when he seemed to sense that I already knew about Sesshoumaru. Kaede, for her part, didn't seem surprised. "Luna-san, there isn't any time to waste. We should get going and meet up with the others - we can come back at a safer time," she tried to smile at that, as I too stood to my feet, fighting the shakiness I felt, wanting to appear as steel again, but the smile looked fake, and couldn't cover over her worry.

I felt the steel within me start to melt to liquid metal as Kagome started for the door, ready and eager, and I followed - and then stopped, a strange sensation hitting me, like power floating through the air, making my hair stand on end, just as it had when Inuyasha had arrived.

Only this air, this power, this feeling...it was stronger than the last, stranger, more close, somehow. If I had been able to feel Inuyasha's presence in the air around me, I could feel this one in my bones, at my very core.

We were too late. Fate had intervened again, and I wasn't sure what to think. Part of me had known, had expected, but the other part…

I wasn't sure if I was ready for this.

But I_ was_ sure that this was part of what I had been missing, though there also seemed to be another key...something I couldn't grasp quite yet, but something that my mind knew already.

"Damn," Inuyasha appeared in front of me as he growled, pulling the flap that made the door to the hut back and looking out into the light, sniffing the air, making my fear of dogs (even him) creep back. Outside, everything seemed to be normal, though I knew it wasn't, the strange power still too present. His eyes narrowed as he reached for his sword, and then looked back at me. "He's here," he said, but, as he blinked, I could tell that he already knew that I was aware of it.

Was it that obvious that I was afraid now, steel melted to liquid, any trace of courage gone?

I wasn't a priestess or anything, but I seemed to be able to sense Inuyasha and his brother...Sesshoumaru. Maybe it had something to do with the pact their father had made with the previous Irazumi, or maybe it was their swords I was sensing instead, but whatever the case, their presences were definitely known to me. I felt them like I felt my heartbeat, like I felt the life flowing through me, like I felt alive.

"Kagome, grab Luna and head towards the well - I'll hold him off," Inuyasha said quickly as he drew Tetsusaiga, which transformed from a small, little thing into its normal, huge form. With it in his hands, he looked stronger, more fierce, determined. "Try the well again, and if you can't get her back…" he glanced at me once more, and I felt my heart sink. "We'll figure something else out then," he let out a small sigh as he turned back towards the doorway and darted out, calling out over his shoulder: "And hurry it up!"

As I watched him move and disappear, heading for some sort of clearing towards the west, I found that my legs didn't want to move, to respond to what my brain was telling them to do. I simply remained in my stop by the doorway, my thoughts racing even faster than Inuyasha had.

I wasn't sure what was happening, didn't know what to do. Life had change so quickly - this morning I'd been determined to get home, determine to sacrifice whatever I had to, not afraid of the consequences; then I had met Naraku again, and he'd promised to send me home, and I'd made a bargain, shaken but still determined; and then I had met Inuyasha and seen Kagome again, and they'd told me of the horribleness of Naraku, but I'd still been determined. And now, all it took was the appearance of Inuyasha's brother to shake me?

I hadn't been able to make it through the well earlier.

I was trapped, still.

I wanted to find a way home, but...at what _cost_?

What was I really willing to sacrifice?

And, if I didn't find a way back, could I ever hope to make this place, this time, my _home_?

Nothing was certain as Kagome gasped, said a quick goodbye to Kaede and Myoga, handed me my backpack, and dragged me out the door towards the well, not nearly enough time on our hands.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello, everyone! Sorry for the long delay with the chapter. Work has been insane, and so I haven't been able to write as much as I would like. Hope this chapter wasn't too fast...Next chapter...we finally see Sesshoumaru. As a major fan-girl (yes, I will admit it), I'm very excited!<br>**

**Thank you to my reviewers for their lovely words: KuramaMustangElric, Bird That Flies At Dawn, The Poet's Muse, Fracktacular, ImmolationPiggieOfDoom, uwohali, Inumimi1, ChangeOfHearts3, and Neon Knightly.**

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a review! Until next time! **

**Cross~**


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